Sins of Her Brother
by BobTheCat'sSister
Summary: Sookie has lost almost everything because of Jason.  Will she lose her freedom to a vampire because of him as well, or will Eric Northman be the answer to all her prayers?  Sookie/Eric  AU  Will eventually be rated M.
1. Abduction

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own these characters. Southern Vampire Mysteries is owned by Charlaine Harris; True Blood is owned by Alan Ball. I own nothing.**

**This is my first attempt at fanfiction. I appreciate all constructive feedback whether positive or negative. Thanks.**

**SINS OF HER BROTHER**

Sookie trudged tiredly down the darkened street. It seemed like every part of her body ached. Her back was screaming and her feet felt like they were going to fall off. The only thing that enabled her to keep putting one foot in front of the other was the thought of her cot at the end of the walk home. She sighed. When she had first found the tiny two room basement apartment in Shreveport with its pitiful, shabby furnishings, she had never thought she would look forward to coming home to it. But oh tonight she did; all she wanted to do was lay down and close her eyes.

It was 2:45 in the morning and she had just finished a double shift at Apollo's Greek Diner. They had been busy tonight but that was exactly the way she wanted it. More customers meant more tips and more tips meant one step closer to her goal. She tried not to think about everything she had lost. Instead she thought about getting it back. And she would get it back. She would get Gran's house back. She would have her home again, with the flower beds and the vegetable garden. Sookie swallowed the lump in her throat and kept on walking.

How many times in the last fifteen months had she damned Jason? Too many to count. There were days when she was so angry she felt like she could claw his eyes out. Sometimes she thought she hated him. Then there were days when she was just heartsick and numb.

_"How could he have done it? How could he have done this to me, to Gran's memory? You know the answer to that Sookie," _she told herself. _"He's an addict."_

Well damn him and damn riverboat gambling.

As she walked, Sookie thought back to that final confrontation between them. She had heard so clearly the agony in his head, the shame and regret. He had been crying. She'd flung the letter from the lawyer in his face and he couldn't deny it anymore. He couldn't lie his way out of it this time.

_"Our homes are gone Jason," _she'd screamed. _"Momma and Daddy's home, Gran's home, they're gone."_

She'd told him she hated him, she'd told him she never wanted to see him again. And in that moment she had meant it. He had mortgaged their houses, both of them, to fuel his poker habit. He had done it without her knowledge and he had lost everything. She had talked to Sid Matt Lancaster, hoping against hope that since her name was on the deeds too, there might be some loop hole, some way out since she hadn't signed any mortgage documents. But there wasn't. Jason had gone through some shady sub-prime lending company and there was nothing Sid Matt could do to help her.

She hadn't seen Jason since that last awful fight; she didn't know where he was or what had become of him. Sookie thought about what had become of herself. After the bank took Gran's house, Sam had let her stay in one of his apartments in Bon Temps. She had lived there for three months while she tried to pick up the pieces of her life. Jason's betrayal, losing her home, all coming barely two years after losing Gran to cancer had been almost more than she could stand. Ironically, it was Sid Matt who had planted the seed of hope and an idea in her brain. He had approached her in the church parking lot one Sunday afternoon.

_"Sookie, the bank hasn't been able to sell your house yet. Hell, they haven't even had any bites that I can tell, what with the economy and real estate market the way it is."_

That was when she had begun to form her plan. She would find a way to buy back Gran's house herself. She would buy it back if it was the last thing she ever did. She was a Stackhouse by God. She was Adele Stackhouse's granddaughter, and Stackhouse women did not give up.

_"Sookie, a woman can do whatever she has to do; don't you forget that"_ her Gran had told her.

Well, Sookie Stackhouse would not forget.

And that was why right now she was walking down a dark street in Shreveport in the middle of the night. She needed money and a lot of it. She needed more money than she could make in Bon Temps. Apollo's was open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Sookie knew she was a damn good waitress. Customers liked her even if they thought she was a little off in the head. Ari, the owner, gave her as many shifts as she could handle. She had also started cleaning houses. Shreveport had a lot of upper-middle class and well-to-do people who didn't want to clean their own homes. Not only was she determined to be the best waitress in town, she was going to be the best house-cleaner too.

And it was working she told herself. She had work and she was putting money in the bank. Her rent wasn't much because after all it was a two-room basement apartment in a not-so-good part of town. But that didn't matter. She would live in a box if she had to. She would work until she collapsed in order to have enough money for a down-payment!

Of course when her whole body was aching, like it was now, she wondered if there wasn't some easier way to make money. She had thought briefly about college but her grades had never been that good on account of her little "disability." Maybe online college could be an option? Still, she needed money right now, not years down the road.

_"You know how you could make a lot of money fast"_ a little voice inside her head said.

There was that vampire bar a few blocks down from Apollo's. They were looking for human exotic dancers.

_"Yeah, right Sookie. You know darn good and well that exotic dancer is just a nicer way of saying stripper" _the little voice said.

But still….when those dancers had come into Apollo's a few nights ago, and she had heard them bragging about how much money they had made that night, she'd almost swallowed her tongue. It was as much as she made in three days of waitressing and house-cleaning.

_"I could do that too. I'm pretty, I have a good figure and I can dance" _Sookie thought to herself. _"Of course, I would be dancing with my clothes off; dancing with my clothes off in front of human men and vampires."_

She kept on walking. Her apartment was just two blocks ahead. She was too tired to think clearly tonight. She would think about the vamp bar tomorrow. What was it called? Oh yeah, Fangtasia. God, who had come up with a name like that?

As she neared her apartment, Sookie fished her keys out of her purse. All she could think about was her cot and blessed sleep. She didn't even think she would bother with putting on her nightgown. Just a little bit further.

Suddenly something plowed into her from behind with so much force that for a second Sookie thought she had been hit by a car. She was face down on the pavement and something huge and heavy was on top of her. Before she could even scream she was lifted up, whirled around, and slammed against the side of her apartment building.

Oh God, a man had her; he had her by the neck! He was squeezing her throat so hard she couldn't even scream. She was three feet off the ground, kicking her legs and gagging. She couldn't breathe! She clawed at the man's arm but it was like clawing at a steel bar. Dimly Sookie realized that something about this man was wrong. Then it hit her, what was different. She couldn't hear him! She couldn't hear him in her head!

The pressure on her throat eased up a bit and she looked down trying to focus on the man's face. They were a few feet away from a lone dim so-called security light. The bulb in the light shone a sickly pale yellow, but it was enough.

Sookie saw him.

She tried to scream again but nothing came out. He was huge. His eyes were glittering and looked as hard as diamonds. He had slicked back short blond hair.

But the worst part about him was his mouth. His mouth was wide open and Sookie could see bone white fangs. He was looking at her and his face was a mask of fury and hate. He snarled at her and she thought it sounded like a rabid animal. He leaned into her body, pulling her head down close to his.

_"Where's your brother, bitch"_ the vampire spat.


	2. Dungeon

She was being dragged through the night. The vampire had one arm around her waist and the other around her throat. The city was passing by her in a black blur. Sookie could feel the wind whipping against her face. Was he running? How could he move so fast? Her feet weren't even touching the ground. She felt disoriented and immobilized.

Suddenly, they were in a parking lot behind a dark building, and he was walking again with her dangling like a rag-doll in his grasp. A door in the back of the building opened and he carried her through. Sookie had a moment to think that he might as well have been dragging a toddler, for all the effort it took him. The second they crossed the threshold the door slammed shut behind them and she saw another man standing in the corridor with his back against the door. No, it wasn't another _man_, it was another _vampire_. This one had long, straggly black hair and black eyes and he wasn't as tall as the one who had a hold of her.

Abruptly, the one that had her in a vice-grip just let go and she fell to the floor. It was so sudden and unexpected that she didn't have a chance to catch herself before she was in a heap at their feet. 

_"I'll be in the basement with our guest," _the blond one said.

He bent over and wound a hand through her hair, and then he was dragging her down the hall on her back. Sookie cried out in pain. Her throat hurt from where he had choked her and it felt like he was ripping her hair out of her head. She wanted to stand up but she couldn't get her feet under her. She reached up with both hands to grip his wrist, desperately trying to take some of the pressure off her scalp.

They reached the end of the hall and then he was dragging her through another door and down concrete stairs. She could feel the skin on her back and legs being scraped and cut with each and every step they went down. Then they were at the bottom and he pulled her across the floor to a corner of the dark room.

He let go of her hair, but before she could even savor the relief of it, she felt something hard and cold being clamped around her neck. Then her hands were jerked behind her back and she heard the click and snap of metal handcuffs as he shackled her wrists behind her.

_"Scream or not as you prefer, the walls are sound-proof"_ the vampire said.

His voice was so soft and nonchalant that she looked up at him. He was staring down at her with a little smile, almost a smirk, on his face. Then he turned around and walked back up the stairs. Sookie heard the door open, close, and lock.

What was happening? Oh God, why was this happening to her? She looked around the basement room. Where was she? What was this place? The room she was in was dark but not pitch black. There were two dim light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, one on each side of the room. There weren't any windows.

Crouching on her knees, Sookie tried to see in every direction at once. Was there anyone else down here? No, no there couldn't be. If anyone else was down here with her, she would have been able to "hear" them. Or would she? She hadn't "heard" either one of those vampires. How was that possible? She had always been able to hear everyone inside her head. Granted, some people were clearer and louder than others, but she always heard _something, _whether she wanted to or not_._ But those two vampires…..there had been only silence.

_"You can't hear them because they're not people," _she thought to herself.

Her gaze darted wildly around the room. It looked like something out of a medieval horror movie. There were cells with iron bars and chains lined around the walls. And there was _equipment_ down here. Sookie started to shake; she could hear herself making little mewling noises. This room was a torture chamber and it reeked of stale urine and blood. It smelled like someone had died down here. When she was in high school, her world history class had studied the Spanish Inquisition. The _things _down here looked like the drawings from her textbook.

As best she could, with her hands cuffed behind her back, Sookie curled into a ball and tried to make herself as small as possible. She squeezed her eyes shut.

_"Please, please make this stop"_ she prayed. _"Please God, make it go away."_

The sound of her own breathing was harsh and there was a roaring noise in her ears. She felt her stomach roll with nausea. The room was cold, but she was covered in a thin film of sweat and her heart felt like it was going to pound its way out of her chest. Sookie could feel herself starting to lose control. Just then, the door at the top of the stairs opened and someone began to walk down.

She didn't dare move a muscle. She could hear the footsteps clicking down the stairs and then coming across the floor toward her. Sookie squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and held her breath. The footsteps stopped. And then…..nothing.

Seconds creeped by. Minutes?

"_If you don't take a breath, you're going to pass out, Scarlett,"_ a woman's voice said.

Sookie's eyes popped open in surprise. She was eye-level with a pair of high-heeled pink pumps. Turning her head to the side, she looked up to see a beautiful woman in a pink jump-suit with long, honey-blond hair.

_"My name's Sookie, not Scarlett," _she muttered absurdly.

The vampire woman's mouth kicked up to one side.

"_Whatever," _she smirked.

It was the exact same smirk that she had seen on the big blond vampire's face when he had told her to scream or not if she wanted.

Sookie didn't understand why, but for some reason she started to feel just a tiny bit better. Her breathing began to normalize and her heart wasn't hammering quite so hard as before. Maybe it was because this vampire was a woman, and just having another woman with her in this horrible room was calming her down. Or perhaps it was because the vampire liked the color pink. How bad could she be if she liked to dress in all pink?

Sookie gave a hysterical little giggle. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, she had been kidnapped by vampires! She was in a dungeon torture chamber with a chain around her neck, and she was conversing with a pretty vampire-lady who had a pink ribbon in her hair! She giggled again. The vampire's left eyebrow rose.

_"Do yourself a favor, Scarlett, and tell him what he wants to know," _the vampire drawled.

_"Wha... what?"_ Sookie mumbled, confused.

The basement door opened again, and _he_ came down the steps. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans, boots, and a Marilyn Manson tee-shirt. He grinned at her.

_"Let's chat, shall we?" _he said.


	3. Interrogation

**Author's Note: Hi everybody! Just wanted to say that I have gone back and edited Chapters One and Two in order to make them more reader friendly and pleasing to the eye. No more run-on paragraphs! Thanks to teewhy1977 for the suggestions about line-breaks.**

**Warning: This chapter contains mild violence and much cursing. If this offends you, please do not read any further. **

Eric stared at the girl huddled on the floor. She scuttled as far away from him as her chain would allow and pressed her back against the wall. He grinned at her.

"_Let's chat shall we?"_ he said.

The girl didn't respond; just continued to stare at him wide-eyed. Actually, Eric thought she looked like she might piss herself at any second. Pam looked over her shoulder at him. There was mischief and amusement in her eyes. Pam loved playing Good Cop / Bad Cop. It was one of her favorite games.

He strolled over to the girl and crouched down beside her. She stopped breathing. He lifted one finger and gently stroked it down one side of the girl's face. She jerked a little and her lower lip began to tremble. He could smell the fear coming off her in thick waves. It was a heady scent. This one smelled phenomenal.

_"Sookie, I want to talk to you about your brother, Jason_**" **Eric said.

"_About Jason?_**" **she whispered. "_How did he know her name? And how did he know Jason?" _Sookie wondered.

"_You're going to tell me where he's hiding. Your brother is wanted in connection with crimes against my kind. Crimes that have led to the Final Death of two vampires in my Area_**," **Eric told her.

He gripped her chin hard, forcing her to meet his eyes.

**"**_Do you know what vampire draining is, little girl?"_ he hissed.

Sookie started to pant. She knew what vampire draining was; she had seen news reports about it on TV. Groups of humans working together would kidnap a vampire, drain all the blood out of their body, and then sell it on the black market, leaving the drained vampire to die. Vampire blood was the hottest new illicit drug craze. And the fact that it was so hard to come by made users and addicts want it that much more. They would pay almost anything for it. That was how the business of vampire draining had been born; the law of supply and demand. It was capitalism at its most gruesome.

Yes, she had heard all about vampire draining. She had also heard rumors about what vampires did to the drainers they caught. Vampire draining was against the law but not one drainer had ever been prosecuted in America. Oh, there were some users who had been arrested with V in their possession. They were occasionally prosecuted and convicted. But the actual drainers themselves were a different matter. No drainer had ever survived long enough to see the inside of a courtroom.

"_God Almighty, what has Jason gotten himself into?" _Sookie thought desperately.

"_Tell me where your brother is_**" **the vampire said again.

"_I…I don't know where Jason is. I haven't seen him in over a year. I haven't even talked to him on the phone_**" **Sookie gulped. _"We had a fight..….he left..…I don't know where he is."_

Eric let go of the girl's chin and stood up. He was distracted by her scent. As a rule, humans smelled better when they were afraid or aroused. The girl was definitely afraid, but there was _something more_; a sweetness he couldn't identify. He glanced over at Pam. She smelled it too.

Turning back to his little prisoner, he reached down and hauled her to her feet. Hooking his fingers in the collar of her shirt, he tore it off her with one swift jerk. She immediately started screaming and kicking at him. This one was feisty. He liked that.

_"Run along Pam, give us some privacy**," **_he said.

"_I'm not sure that's such a good idea. How do I know you'll be safe all alone with her?"_ Pam drawled. "_I distinctly remember the last time I left you down here with a human, having to cut six inches_ _off your_ _hair just to get all the blood out. If I have to go any shorter, you'll be bald."_

"_No, no, no!"_ Sookie screamed at the top of her lungs. She was twisting in his grasp and kicking for all she was worth.

_"Let me go, you fucking asshole! I haven't done anything! I don't know anything! Please let me go." _She started to sob. Eric released her arms, and she sank down to the floor crying.

_"Jason mortgaged our houses. We lost everything**" **_she sobbed through her tears. **"**_I haven't seen him since. I swear I don't know where he is, I don't even know if he's alive" _she cried.

Eric turned and motioned for Pam to follow him up the stairs. As soon as they were through the basement door, he turned to his child.

"_What do you think?"_ he asked her.

_"__It fits with what Compton was able to find out_" Pam replied. _"She's convinced you're going to rape and torture her to death. Why would she lie to protect her brother when he's the reason she's here in the first place?"_

_"__Why indeed_" Eric shrugged, as they walked down the hall to his office.

_"You can always glamour her, if you're not sure." _

They reached the office and he sat down in the chair behind his desk. Pam propped her hip up on the desk's edge and looked directly at him.

**"**_Why does she smell so good? I've never had any human that smelled like her before_**"** she asked.

The two vampires stared at one another.

_**(The Basement of Fangtasia)**_

Sookie lay on the basement floor shivering. She wanted to pretend this wasn't happening. She wanted to pretend it was all a bad dream and that she would wake up in her yellow buttercup bedroom, and Gran would be there to hug her and tell her everything was going to be all right.

But she knew that was a lie. Gran was dead and she was never going to see her yellow bedroom again. She was going to die down here and then those vampires were going to hunt Jason down and kill him too.

_Oh God, Jason. What had happened? What had he done?_

She couldn't believe he had become a drainer. Her brother wouldn't do that. She _knew_ he wouldn't. Jason was selfish and immature, and God knew there were times when he could be incredibly stupid; but he wasn't evil. He wasn't a killer.

She thought back to their childhood. He _had _been a good brother. He had looked out for her when they were growing up. When Momma and Daddy died, he held her hand at the funeral. For her tenth birthday, he had arranged for her to have a puppy from Hoyt Fortenberry's dog's litter.

And he had defended her. She remembered the cruel taunts in school. "_Crazy Sookie, crazy Sookie." _Jason had beaten the crap out of some boys for calling her names. He'd done the same thing years later when it had happened again while she was working at Merlotte's. Nobody picked on her when Jason was around.

Suddenly the thought of him dying filled her with terror. He was the only person she had left in the entire world, and she loved him. She loved her brother.

She had to calm down and think. _"Use your head, Sookie" _she told herself. _"Mind over matter." _There had to be something she could do. There had to be some way to bargain with these vampires. What could she give them? What did she have to barter with?

_**(Main Club-Room in Fangtasia)**_

Long Shadow was ready to lock up the club for the night. He wanted to get the hell out of here so he could find some blood-bag to hump and drain before dawn. He was pissed as usual, stuck up here herding the human _employees._ At least there were only two of them left in the bar, the bouncer Rene and that stupid bitch Ginger. He hated doing this fucking grunt-work. It was beneath him. Serving drinks to humans, wiping down the bar while the _Master_ and his demon-spawn-child played with that blond cunt in this basement.

_That's_ where he wanted to be; playing with _her_. He had smelled her, the instant Eric came through the door with her. The scent made his fangs itch, and he'd wanted to snatch her out of the _Master's_ grasp. He should be downstairs with them right now. But instead of being included, as he deserved, he was left up here to supervise these worthless breathers.

"_What the fuck is taking you two so long, I'm ready to lock up. Get your shit and get out of here"_ he snarled at the two humans.

The bouncer, Rene, turned to face him.

**"**_Ginger got to finish cleaning the restrooms. Then I'm gonna make sure she get home safe. You can go on ahead, if you want. I'll lock up da bar_" the human said.

Long Shadow's lip curled in distaste and he sneered at Rene. He hated that fucking Cajun bouncer, and he hated his fucking Cajun accent. He had never understood why they needed a human bouncer anyway. Just because there had been a few _minor incidents_ when he had been tossing the drunks, that was no reason to turn the job over to a human. Eric had over-reacted. Long Shadow couldn't understand why a vampire as old as Eric wasted his time pandering to human blood-bags. He preferred dealing with humans in the _old way._ But now they were all supposed to _live_ _in harmony _with humans. Nothing that had happened since the Great Revelation made any fucking sense to him.

Turning his back to Long Shadow, Rene pretended to busy himself putting bar chairs on the tops of tables, while he waited for that fang-banging whore Ginger. He was so close to completing his mission. It wouldn't be much longer now. That ugly Indian vamp actually thought he was afraid of him. What a fucking joke that was. He wasn't afraid of Long Shadow or any of the other abominations in this hell-hole. Oh no, he wasn't afraid because he was a Warrior of the Light.

Rene smiled as he worked. They were all so arrogant. Fucking vamps thought they were so all-powerful. He smirked. They weren't so powerful when they were sleeping. When they couldn't see you planting C-4 in their club, when they couldn't see you swapping out their security surveillance tapes.

The Reverend was right, it was just like the Bible said, _"Pride goeth before a fall."_

In less than twenty-four hours it would all be over. They would all be burning in hellfires, the vamps and their God-forsaken whores.

Just thinking about it made Rene so excited he felt the first stirrings of an erection.

_**(Eric's Office in Fangtasia)**_

_"So what do you want to do with her?"_ Pam asked him.

He thought about it. **"**_Go downstairs and unchain her. Bring her back up here. I'll see if she knows anything under glamour."_

"_And if she doesn't? We glamour her and let her go?"_ Pam pressed.

Eric didn't respond. He didn't want to let the girl go.

"_There might be some way we could use her_**" **he said slowly. **"**_Even if she doesn't know where Stackhouse is, we might be able to use her to flush him out. Put the word out among fang-bangers and users that we have her; that we would let Stackhouse surrender himself in exchange for her freedom."_

Pam cocked an eyebrow at him.

Even to his ears, that sounded like an excuse. Why did he want to keep her? She was beautiful, with sun-streaked blond hair and big brown doe-eyes. And her breasts were fabulous. He'd gotten a good look at them when he'd ripped her shirt off. But he had known countless beautiful women and vampires over the centuries. What made this one human girl so special? It must have something to do with her scent. That sweetness. He wondered what she would taste like.

He glanced up to see Pam staring at him with a knowing expression on her face.

"_Go get her"_ he snapped at his child.

_**(The Basement in Fangtasia)**_

Pam walked down the steps to collect the girl. She grinned to herself. The human had her Maker's panties in a wad! _"Use her to trade for her brother?"_ Ha! Who did Eric think he was fooling? This may have begun as a search for Jason Stackhouse, but now Eric wanted Stackhouse's baby-sister for himself.

Not that she blamed him. The little blond looked and smelled delectable. Pam's fangs dropped down, but she knew she would have to control herself. Eric didn't like to share; at least not in the beginning. He could be so selfish.

The girl jerked upright when she saw Pam coming toward her.

"_This is your lucky night sugar-plum, you're being sprung."_

Pulling the key to the lock out of her pocket, Pam leaned down to insert it into the collar around the girl's neck. She considered briefly whether to take the handcuffs off too. Why not? They didn't need the cuffs for glamour. And besides, it would aggravate Eric that she was the one to remove the restraints, instead of waiting for him to do it. She never missed an opportunity to tease her Maker.

As soon as her hands were free, the girl lunged for the shredded remnants of her shirt. She clutched the tattered cloth to her breasts, covering up what Pam thought was truly a work of art.

_"Don't be shy sugar-plum, you won't be needing that shirt."_

"_Oh yes I will!"_ the little human squeaked.

Her voice was shaky but her eyes were shooting sparks. _Oh Eric was going to just love this._

Pam couldn't wait.


	4. Moment of Truth

**Author's Note: Sorry it took longer to post this chapter. My job has been making me nuts. Just so you know, this chapter contains more violence and cursing.**

Sookie shrugged into the remains of her shirt and crossed her arms over her chest. The female vampire was herding her up the basement stairs. What had the blond one called her? Pam? Yes, that was her name. For a second, Sookie thought about asking Pam where she was taking her, but then decided against it. Anywhere out of this dungeon had to be better. And she had taken the handcuffs off too. Overall, her situation seemed to be improving.

"_But I don't like what she said about me not needing my shirt" _Sookie thought to herself.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Pam took Sookie's elbow and began to lead her down a hallway.

"_At least she's not dragging me by my hair" _Sookie thought. Another improvement.

They walked through a second door and into a very large, almost cavernous room. Sookie realized immediately she was in a nightclub. The entire place was decorated with red and black LED lights. At the far end of the room was a stage with a runway. There were also several elevated dancer platforms equipped with stripper poles. The walls were painted in red and black, and posters from horror movies, _mostly vampire movies_, hung in various places around the room. At the opposite end of the room was some kind of dais that had two chairs sitting on it. There were a lot of booths and tables scattered throughout, and a very long bar ran the entire length of one wall. An illuminated red neon sign hung above and behind the dais. _Fangtasia._

As soon as they walked into the bar Sookie heard him; his thoughts came at her like a sledgehammer. She stumbled to a halt and gasped. The man was an incredibly loud broadcaster.

"_Fucking vamps...gonna burn...C-4...blow this pit sky high...fellowship...I'll be a hero."_

Usually she was pretty good about keeping her poker-face on when she heard unwanted thoughts. She'd had a lot of practice. She had learned in grade-school that if she responded to what someone thought instead of what they said, people would look at her like she had two heads.

When she had worked at Merlotte's, she'd often heard the less than noble thoughts of bar patrons. But those were just the ordinary, run-of-the-mill kind of sins that regular people felt. They might be lustful and adulterous and greedy and petty and mean-spirited, but they were nothing compared to what hit her now. What was ricocheting around inside her head right now was murderous. It was psychotic.

Sookie felt a thick black wave roll through her mind and she reeled back, pulling against Pam's hold on her arm. On the other side of the room were two humans, a man and a woman. The woman had bleach-blond hair and there was nothing but white-noise coming from her brain. No, the sickness and perversion was coming from the man. He was about medium-height and build with dark wavy hair and a mustache; he looked directly at her.

"_What the fuck is that bitch looking at?" _his voice rang through her head.

"_Just another v-addicted, fang-banging slut. Stupid whores deserve to die. Burn her too, along with all the rest of them. Tomorrow night. C-4."_

"_Why the hell is she staring at me like that?"_

She could almost see the images inside his mind. He was picturing the bombs he had hidden in the ceiling and he was imagining the club exploding in a massive fireball, vampires and humans screaming as they burned to death. The dark haired man was excited, he wanted them all to die in agony. Sookie felt bile rise in the back of her throat and thought she was going to vomit.

"_He's got a bomb! He's gonna blow y'all up!" _she blurted.

The words came flying out of her mouth before she even had a chance to consider what she was doing.

Pam, who had tightened her grip on Sookie's arm, whirled around to face Rene. She narrowed her eyes, and her fangs ran out as she looked back and forth between the two humans. The girl was ashen. She was hyperventilating and staring at Rene, who suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"_What are you talking about?" _Pam said, low and dangerous.

"_He's planted a bomb" _Sookie's voice was high and shrill. _"He's gonna kill y'all. He wants you all to burn up!"_

There was growling coming from the other side of the room. Sookie turned and saw the scraggly black-haired vampire staring at the human man with his fangs exposed.

"_I don't know what the hell this crazy bitch is talking about" _the man cried.

"_He's put explosives in the ceiling and the ductwork" _Sookie pleaded._ "Just look and you'll find them."_

"_She's lying. I've never seen this whore before in my life."_

"_Why has your voice changed Rene?" _Pam said silkily. _"What happened to your accent?"_

The man froze and his mouth opened but nothing came out. Caught, caught, caught, his face said. Pam let go of Sookie's arm and began gliding toward Rene.

Then, faster than Sookie's eyes could track, she was on him and they were grappling with each other on the floor. It didn't look like it was going to be much of a fight. Pam had the man on his back and her hands were around his neck. Sookie could see him struggling to pull something out of his pocket. Before she could shout a warning, there was an explosion of silver vapor in between the battling vampire and human.

The vampire screamed and Sookie thought it was the most horrible sound she had ever heard. Pam reared back shrieking, both hands covering her face, just as the black-haired vampire launched himself over the bar and on top of the human man. In a split second, the man's head was off his body and the vampire had his mouth buried in the gaping neck, arterial spray shooting across the floor.

The bleach-blond woman dove under a table and started screaming at the top of her lungs. Sookie stood frozen, rooted to the spot. She had never seen anyone die before. Working in a bar, you did get to see a lot of fights; but she had never witnessed anything like this. This was real violence; final, deadly and murderous.

A roar erupted from behind her and she turned to see the tall blond vampire. The look on his face was so terrifying that Sookie's legs gave way beneath her and she fell to the floor. He was across the room in an instant, cradling Pam, who was moaning and writhing.

"_What the fuck is going on?" _he shouted.

Eric pulled Pam's hands away from her face. Fury like he had not felt in centuries ripped through him. His child's eyes were swollen shut, and bloody burned skin was sliding down her face and neck. The flesh on her palms and fingers was hanging loosely from her hands. Her mouth was open and he knew she was trying to control her screams.

Colloidal silver mixed with carbolic acid_._

He had heard of humans using this new weapon against his kind, but had not seen its effects until now. He had to get it off of her. Scooping his child up in his arms, Eric ran for the staff shower located two doors down from his office. Not bothering to turn the knob, he kicked the door to the shower room off its hinges. Placing Pam in the shower, he turned the water on full blast.

He hissed and snarled, almost out of his mind with fury. Rage and fear warred for supremacy inside him. He didn't want to let Pam out of his sight, but he had to go back for the Stackhouse bitch. He would rip her to shreds for this. _He really would torture her to death now._

The bitch had known. How the fuck had she known? He had been sitting in his office waiting for her and Pam, and had heard what went down in the bar. It had happened so fast it was over by the time he got there.

She had to be working with Rene. But if that was the case, why rat him out? Her brother was a suspected drainer. Did she think she could save him if she handed over someone else?

Leaving Pam in the shower, Eric ran back to the main bar and took in the scene. Nothing much had changed since he left the room. Ginger was still under a table shrieking, Long Shadow was gorging himself on what was left of Rene, and the blond bitch was hunkered down on the floor too scared to move. She should be scared, Eric thought. He was of a mind to do things to her that he hadn't done to anyone in centuries.

First thing's first. Eric walked over to Ginger and yanked her out from under the table. Grabbing her by the back of the neck, he turned her to face him.

"_Calm down and be quiet" _he purred.

The shrieking stopped immediately and a glazed look settled over Ginger's haggard features. Eric turned to Long Shadow and looked at him with disgust and contempt. The stupid shit still had his face buried where Rene's head had once attached to his shoulders. Pam was blinded and mutilated, there might be explosives planted in his bar, and all this motherfucker could think about doing was feeding his face.

"_Get that putrid carcass the fuck out of my bar and dispose of it...now" _Eric whispered venomously.

Something in his tone must have penetrated Long Shadow's bloodlust because the Indian vamp tore his mouth away from the body and slowly looked up to meet Eric's eyes. Without saying a word, he stood and hoisted Rene's body over his left shoulder, picked up the head in his right hand, and quickly retreated from the room.

Eric turned his gaze to Sookie.

"_He's going to kill me now"_ Sookie thought.

The look he was giving her was worse than anything he had said or done in the basement.

"_How did you know?" _the vampire whispered to her.

Sookie's heart started to pound. That whisper sent cold chills shooting through her entire body. She wished he would shout at her, she wished he was screaming and raging and cursing. That calm velvety whisper terrified her down to the marrow of her bones.

Before she could even blink, he was on his knees on the floor in front of her. A cold hand was wrapped around her throat and their faces were mere inches apart. He was gazing directly into her eyes and Sookie started to feel a dull throb.

"_I believe I asked you a question" _he whispered again.

"_How did you know about Rene? How do you know about any explosives? Where is your brother? How are you involved in this?"_

Her throat felt thick and dry. She couldn't answer any of those questions, she just couldn't. The cold hand on her neck tightened, and the throbbing and pressure behind her eyes began to get worse. She started to see little dots of light dancing around.

"_You said there were bombs. You said that they're in the ceiling. You said he was going to blow up my bar. You said he wanted to kill us. How...do...you...know...these...things?"_

"_Answer my questions...speak" _the vampire hissed.

Tears began to trickle down Sookie's face. How could she tell him? What would he do when he found out? Would he even believe her? She could count on one hand the number of people who knew the truth. She was afraid of what would happen if she told him, and she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't. She didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, Gran's voice came to her, as clear and pure as if she were standing right there in the room.

"_Sookie, honey, when you're out of options, honesty is always the best policy."_

Sookie took a deep shaky breath and looked the vampire directly in his eyes.

"_I'm a telepath" _she whispered.


	5. Mr Northman's House

"_I'm a telepath" _she whispered.

Eric stared at the girl without speaking. Seconds ticked by and neither of them moved. _What the fuck had she just said? _A telepath! Was it possible? There was _something wrong_ with this girl. She was crying. He had glamoured her, and she was _crying._ That was impossible; humans didn't cry when they were glamoured.

Unless … she wasn't glamoured.

He looked into her eyes. _She_ was looking back at him, and she was _conscious_. He didn't have her! He fucking didn't have her under glamour! He couldn't believe what was happening. His glamour had never failed, not one time in eleven hundred years. Even when he had been newly vampire, glamour had always come easily to him. His mind reeled with the implications.

Eric slammed the girl onto her back, on the floor, and straddled her hips.

"_Can you read my mind?"_ he snarled, baring his fangs at her.

"_No … no" _she gulped, still crying. _"I don't understand why … I can't hear you … any of you. It's like you're not there. I mean … I know you're here, but I can't hear you … that way … in my head. Please, please … we have to get out of this building! That man put bombs in here; we have to get out!"_

"_Ginger, go to the shower and give Pam blood"_ Eric snapped to the waitress, never taking his eyes off the Stackhouse girl.

Ginger immediately jumped up and ran from the room toward the shower. Eric stood up and pulled the girl to her feet. Making his decision, he pulled his cell phone out of his back pocket and hit the speed dial for Bobby.

"_Yes, Mr. Northman?" _came the familiar voice of his day man.

"_We're closing Fangtasia for the next seventy-two hours" _Eric said. _"I want the Cleaners brought in and the club gone over from top to bottom. Tell them to look for explosives and surveillance devices, especially in the ceiling. And Bobby … keep it quiet. No humans involved. Put out signs that we've had a plumbing malfunction and we've got water damage to repair." _

"_I understand Mr. Northman, I'll take care of everything."_

Eric hung up the phone, satisfied. Bobby was an ass-licker, but he was efficient and reliable. Dawn was less than ninety minutes away. He had to get himself and Pam out of here because they sure as hell weren't going to spend their day rest in the club; he wasn't taking any chances. He turned his attention back to the girl.

"_If you want to live another twenty-four hours, you're going to do exactly as I tell you. Do you understand?"_

Sookie nodded her head. _"Yes" _she replied in a small whisper. He was speaking to her now in a normal tone of voice, but she knew he was deadly serious. She looked at the pool of blood on the floor. The vampire would kill her if she tried anything.

"_Follow me"_ he said.

He walked quickly out of the room and down another hallway with her trailing obediently behind him. Sookie saw the splintered remains of a door strewn about at the end of the hall. They reached the shattered doorway. Pam was in the shower with the bleach-blond woman, her mouth clamped to the woman's neck. Water was pouring down on both of them and the human woman was moaning in … pleasure? It sure didn't sound like pain to Sookie's ears.

"_Ginger, look at me … come here"_ Eric said.

Pam stopped drinking and Ginger stood up and walked to stand in front of him.

"_You're going to go home now. Nothing bad happened here tonight except we had a plumbing problem. That's the reason your clothes are wet. Fangtasia will be closed for the next three days while we fix the plumbing. You will not come in to work. Rene doesn't work here anymore. He quit his job and is moving to New Orleans. He told everyone goodbye tonight, and he was happy and healthy when he left. Go home now."_

Sookie knew her mouth must be hanging open. The bleach-blond woman named Ginger was staring at the vampire with a stupefied look on her face. She nodded her head and walked down the hall, out of sight. "_What the hell was that about_?" Sookie thought. Had he just hypnotized her? She swung her gaze back to the two vampires.

Eric went over to the shower and quickly turned the water off. He crouched down beside his child and gently took her in his arms, careful not to touch her burns. The skin on her face and hands was already beginning to regenerate. It was red and blistered, but it wasn't charred and hanging the way it had been when he had first seen her. He felt another surge of rage but forced himself to calm down.

Her eyes were going to be a problem.

He didn't have to ask, he knew she was blind. The swelling around her eyelids had gone down somewhat and he could see the destroyed tissue. He could also feel her fear. Eyes generally took around a month to regrow.

In almost two hundred years, Pam had never had a serious injury, certainly nothing like this. Eric knew there was nothing she hated more than appearing vulnerable and needy.

"_I hope I didn't interrupt you and Ginger too soon" _he quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Pam smirked, in spite of the burns on her face.

"_Oh please. I wouldn't touch hers, if it was the last pussy on Earth. I'd turn celibate first, or go back to men."_

Eric grinned. That was his girl. And he agreed with her sentiment. He'd cut his cock and balls off and watch them regrow a hundred times before he'd stick it in Ginger.

"_Where are your car keys?" _he asked. "_We're going back to my place."_

"_In my purse, in your office" _Pam replied. _"We're going to take my car instead of the Corvette?" _her voice was incredulous.

Eric stood up with her in his arms. He stared at Sookie intently.

"_We'll need the back seat for Miss Stackhouse, since she has so kindly agreed to accompany us" _Eric purred.

Sookie followed the two vampires as the male carried Pam through a doorway and into another room. It occurred to her that she didn't even know what his name was. She didn't think anyone had said it in her presence. She looked around the room. With the exception of some campy vampire memorabilia, it looked like an ordinary office that could have been in any small business. It sort of reminded Sookie of Sam's office in Merlotte's.

The vampire nodded his head toward a black leather sofa that was pushed against the far wall. A large pink purse sat at one end.

"_Get her keys out and follow us" _he said.

"_And bring my purse too, Cupcake" _Pam added.

Sookie felt a flash of irritation. Was she their servant now? She walked over to the sofa and picked up the bag. A little emblem on the front read COACH. She didn't know a lot about designer purses, but she did know quality when she saw it.

"_I'll bet this bag cost more than I make in a week" _she thought sourly.

Glancing over at Pam, Sookie was instantly filled with remorse. After all, it wasn't _her_ face that had just been burned off, and she still had both eyes in her head. Pam had been nice to her … well … sort of nice. Rummaging around inside the purse, she found a set of keys. Lexus … it figured. She held them out to the blond vampire.

"_Let's go" _he said, taking the keys from her.

They walked out of the office and down the hall toward the rear of the club. Then they were through the back door and in the parking lot, walking toward a Lexus sedan. For a moment, Sookie wondered about her own acquiescence. She was just meekly trailing behind the vampires like a whipped puppy. She wasn't screaming for help or trying to run away or do anything to draw attention to herself.

"_You're saving your own life is what you're doing" _she thought to herself. "_You've seen what they can do, and he has as much as said that he'll kill you if you don't obey him. Just live through tonight and you can think of some way out of this tomorrow."_

Eric hit the unlock button on Pam's key, and the car headlights flashed as the doors unlocked. He carried Pam around to the passenger side and placed her in the front seat. He glanced at the little human. She was standing by the car tentatively, an indecisive look on her face. Was she going to try to run? He really didn't think she was that foolish. She looked at him, and then hesitantly opened the back door and got inside the car. Eric smiled in spite of himself. No, this one was definitely not foolish.

Sookie watched the vampire walk around the front of the car, open the driver's door, and slide behind the wheel. He had to adjust the seat, pushing it way back to make room for his legs. Then they were pulling out of the parking lot and the Lexus was gliding through the dark streets of Shreveport. There was an illuminated clock on the car's dash panel; it read 5:37. Had it only been three hours? Just three hours ago she had finished her shift at Apollo's and was walking back to her apartment. The only thing on her mind then had been Gran's house and her cot. Sookie gave a soft little sob and sniffled. She didn't see the vampire cut his eyes to her in the rear-view mirror.

They drove for about twenty minutes, passing through Shreveport proper, and into the suburbs. Sookie tried to pay attention to the route they were taking, committing it to memory as best she could. Though it was still dark, she could tell they were in a very upscale neighborhood. The houses were really big. Then, the car was slowing down as they approached a security gate.

_Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, it was a gated community!_ These vampires lived in a gated community! Her kidnapper rolled down his window to speak to the security guard.

"_Good morning Richard" _he said.

"_Good morning, Mr. Northman. I didn't realize it was you in this car" _the guard replied.

And Sookie realized he was human. He was looking back and forth from Pam to her. Pam had her face turned away as if she were looking out the passenger side window. Sookie immediately plastered her "crazy smile" on her face and stared back at the guard.

"_Lucky rich vamp; two in one night"_ the guard was thinking. His eyes flicked to her torn shirt.

Eric smiled benevolently at the human man.

"_Didn't have room for both my houseguests in my car. Have a good day, Richard."_

"_You too, Mr. Northman." _

The gate swung open and they drove through.

"_What was he thinking Sookie?"_ he asked her.

"_He was thinking that you're a lucky rich vampire, to have us both" _she replied tiredly.

Pam snorted at that, as _Mr. Northman _just stared at her in the rear-view mirror. Well, at least she knew his last name now, thanks to Richard the gate guard.

They continued to drive about a quarter of a mile, and then he was turning left into a circular driveway in front of an enormous house. They came to a stop under a portico. The vampire got out and walked around the car to collect Pam from the passenger seat.

"_You do know it's my eyes that are fried, right, not my legs?" _Pam complained as he lifted her into his arms. _"I am perfectly capable of walking."_

"_You can walk tonight, after you've healed during the day" _he shot back at her. Pam huffed in irritation.

Watching the back and forth between the pair, something inside Sookie unclenched a little. He seemed to care about Pam and wanted to take care of her. Maybe he wasn't totally evil. He motioned for her to come, and she got out of the car and followed the two vampires inside the house.

As soon as she walked through the front door, Sookie found herself in a foyer. It was dimly lit, but there were a few lamps on and she was able to see the rooms around her. Directly ahead was a staircase leading up to a second floor. To her right was what appeared to be a large parlor with several couches and chairs; and to her left was a library with bookcases lining the walls. The furniture looked very expensive to Sookie's eyes.

The vampire carried Pam into the parlor and put her on one of the couches. Then he turned around and walked back to where Sookie was standing in the foyer. His hand encircled her wrist and he began to lead her up the stairs.

"_Don't do anything I wouldn't do" _Pam called out after them.

They reached the top of the stairs and then he was taking her down a hallway. He stopped when he reached an ornate heavy looking door. Opening it, the vampire drew her inside. It was a large bedroom. Sookie's heart rate started to speed up and she pulled a little against his hold on her wrist. What was he going to do to her?

"_Make yourself at home" _the vampire said, smiling slyly at her. _"There's a fully functional bathroom for humans through that door." _He pointed to another door on the opposite side of the room. _"And don't bother wasting your time looking for a way to escape. You don't get out until I let you out." _He turned to leave.

"_Wait" _Sookie yelped. "_What do you want from me? How long are you gonna keep me here?"_

"_We'll talk about that later" _he replied, still smiling, as he walked back to the door.

"_I want to know your name" _she demanded, trying to put a little force into her voice.

He looked back over his shoulder at her, a curious expression on his face.

"_My name is Eric" _the vampire said softly.

He shut the door behind him. Sookie heard deadbolts turning in a lock and then silence.

-V—V-

Eric walked back downstairs to get Pam. They had serious problems. Her injury, possible sabotage, infiltration, drainers, and the mysterious little blond human upstairs. There was more to deal with than he had time left in the night. Dawn was almost on them.

"_Did you get our little girl situated?" _Pam asked as he came into the parlor.

"_She'll keep."_

Lifting her in his arms, he carried her through the foyer and into the library. He went directly to a large mahogany desk and sat Pam on its edge. Opening the second drawer down on the left, Eric keyed in the security codes on his control panel. Light-tight metal shutters dropped down over every window and outer door on the house. Then he punched in another code and one of the bookshelves swung open revealing the stairs that led down to his true nest.

Picking Pam up again, Eric carried her down to his daytime resting place. She had her own suite of rooms in his nest, but tonight he passed those by. When they reached his rooms, he placed her on his bed and began removing her ruined clothes. Her jumpsuit was still wet from the shower, and the acid had burned holes in the top. He felt a low growl rumble up in his chest, and she squeezed his hands. He tossed her clothes in a corner and then took his own off, adding them to the pile.

Eric got into bed with his child and pulled her to him, her back to his chest. They were both naked, but there was nothing remotely sexual about the posture. He and Pam hadn't had sex in over one hundred and fifty years. He simply had to reassure himself that he still had her, that nothing irreversible had happened. He bit into his wrist and opened a vein. Reaching around to her face, he brought his wrist to her mouth and she took it without comment. Eric could feel her relax against him as she drank. Tucking her head under his chin, he closed his eyes and let the dawn take him.


	6. Gilded Cage

Sookie stared at the closed door. She heard the deadbolt tumble in the lock and then, only silence. Slowly, she walked over to the door to examine it. _It didn't have a knob_. She stared at the place where the interior doorknob should have been. Her mouth turned down and she felt tears prick her eyes. For some reason, that missing doorknob made her heart hurt. It was just too much. There was no way to open the door from the inside. She was a captive in this house.

She was momentarily overcome by a riot of emotions. Part of her wanted to scream, and beat and kick on the door until her hands and feet were bloody. Another part of her just wanted to sit down on the floor and wail for someone, anyone to come and save her.

"_No … no, no, no … NO" _she said out loud to the empty room. _"You are not going to do this. You are not going to fall apart like this. Stop it right now, no more blubbering."_

Sookie gritted her teeth together so hard she thought they might crack. She squeezed her eyes closed and clenched her fists.

"_You're going to survive. You're going to do whatever you have to do to get through this, no matter what it takes. You are not going to break down."_

She forced herself to take slow deep breaths. She could not allow herself to panic. Hysteria would not get her out of this room.

"_You have to get a hold of yourself. You have to be logical and think. Mind over matter, mind over matter, mind over matter."_

She slowly unclenched her fists and her jaw. Then she opened her eyes and looked around at her surroundings.

She was in a beautiful spacious bedroom. The walls were painted a rich deep blue, and there was an intricate Oriental rug covering the hardwood floor. Like downstairs, the furniture in the room was high quality and looked very expensive. The bed was a queen-size four-poster Rice bed in dark wood with ornate carving. It was flanked by two matching night-stands. Atop each night-stand sat a crystal lamp. There was also a triple-dresser and a wall mounted mirror in the same pattern. A comfortable looking plush oversized chair covered in light blue fabric sat in one corner of the room. _There were no windows._

There was another door at the far end of the bedroom, and she could see that it did have a doorknob. Her vampire kidnapper, _Eric_, had said there was a _"fully functional bathroom for humans"_ through that door. Sookie walked across the room and opened the door. She stopped dead in her tracks and her mouth fell open.

She had never seen anything like it before. _This_ was his idea of _fully functional?_ This _bathroom_ was almost as big as the bedroom, and it was done entirely in white marble with veins of blue and turquoise running through the stone. There was a deep sunken bathtub in the center of the room that looked big enough for six people. In the far left corner was a walk-in shower that could probably fit just as many. Opposite from the shower were Jack and Jill vanity sinks; a toilet and a bidet rounded out the room.

Sookie tip-toed forward. It was just beyond anything. What did somebody do with a bathroom like this? There was one more door to the side of the vanity sinks. Almost afraid of what she would find, but unable to resist, she walked to the door, turned the knob and slowly pushed. A walk-in closet. It was about half the size of the bathroom and was lined with row after row of empty shelves and hanger racks. Stepping back, she pulled the door to the empty closet shut and turned again to gape at the bathroom of kings. Then she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Holy Moses! She looked like she had been hit by a Mack truck. Her hair resembled a rat's nest. Her slacks were filthy and had holes torn in them, and her shirt was even filthier and was literally hanging on her in rags. There were ugly black and blue splotches on her neck where Eric had choked her and her eyes were blood-shot. She looked down at her hands. Her palms were skinned and there were bruises on her wrists from the handcuffs.

Suddenly all she wanted to do was get in that gigantic shower and wash it all away. She walked over to it and opened the shower door. It had no less than five shower-heads, one of which was a rain-shower that came down from the ceiling. There were bottles of shampoo and liquid soap on a ledge. Looking around for towels, she opened a cabinet beside the shower. Pay-dirt! There were stacks of fluffy white towels and washcloths. Laying two towels on the counter, Sookie stripped off her clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror again. Her knees and her lower back were scraped and cut just like her palms. When had that happened? Maybe when he had dragged her down the steps at Fangtasia. Turning away, she walked back to the shower and stepped inside.

"_How do I even turn the water on?" _she thought to herself. There were three sets of hot and cold handles. Choosing the set in the middle, she twisted the knobs. Water immediately began pouring from the rain-shower faucet overhead, and Sookie stood underneath it letting the spray pound down on her tired aching body. She reached for one of the bottles on the ledge.

'_Dead Sea Bath and Skin Care'. _Was that somebody's idea of a joke? There was shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and lotion. Sookie poured an obscene amount of shampoo into her palm and began lathering up her hair. The shampoo was thick and rich and it smelled glorious. It was so wonderful that she didn't even bother with the shower gel. Instead she just poured more shampoo onto her washcloth and scrubbed her skin clean, being careful of her cut and bruised areas. Then she worked the conditioner into her hair from the roots to the tips. She slowly counted to one hundred and then leaned her head back under the rain-shower, running her fingers through her now silky smooth hair. Once the conditioner was rinsed out, she reluctantly turned off the water. She was about to step out when she remembered the lotion. Grabbing the bottle, she stepped out of the shower with the lotion in hand. She wrapped her hair up in one towel and used the other to carefully blot herself dry. Lastly, she smoothed the _'Dead Sea After-Bath Lotion' _over every square-inch of her body that she could reach. She sighed, it was bliss.

Sookie looked at herself in the mirror again. Oh yeah, that was better. The scrapes and bruises were still there but at least she didn't look like road-kill anymore. She glanced around, suddenly realizing that she didn't have anything clean to put on. Her filthy torn clothes were in a pile on the floor. She wrapped herself in the towel and walked back to the bedroom. Going over to the dresser, she opened the drawers one by one; they were all empty.

"_Well, what now?" _she said out loud to herself.

She didn't want to be stark naked in a vampire's house, but she didn't want to put her dirty ripped clothes back on either. She was _clean, _she just couldn't put those clothes back on.

"_Besides" _she reasoned, _"those clothes aren't really any protection anyway." _

The vampire had already torn her shirt off once. He could tear all her clothes off if he wanted to, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. But she wasn't going to let herself think about that.

She looked at the bed longingly and her shoulders sagged. A real bed. She hadn't slept in a real bed since she moved out of Sam's apartment to come to Shreveport. She was bone-deep weary. In spite of her circumstances, she wanted to get in that bed and go to sleep. It had to be daylight outside by now; the vampires would be asleep. She could rest too. Walking over to it, she pulled back the comforter and sheet. She dropped the towels on the floor and crawled into the bed.

It felt so good, she actually groaned out loud. The mattress was soft, the pillows were soft, but it was the sheets that did her in. She had never felt such soft, fine linens. She rubbed her cheek against the pillow-case wondering briefly what the thread-count was.

All of a sudden, she burst out laughing. She had been kidnapped and assaulted by a vampire. He had threatened her life and her brother's life. She was locked in a room, naked, inside his house. She had seen a man decapitated. And she was laying here wondering about the thread-count in the vampire's sheets.

Sookie laughed until tears were rolling down her cheeks. Gradually, she settled down. What did all of this mean? What did it mean that Eric had a room like this in his house? Did he kidnap humans often? Despite its luxury, she knew the room was a prison cell. The door was dead-bolted and couldn't be opened from the inside. There were no windows and there was no telephone. She sighed and felt her eyelids droop. She couldn't think anymore right now, she was so tired; she just had to go to sleep.

"_Later, ... I'll figure it all out later" _she thought. Closing her eyes, she was asleep in less than a minute.


	7. Second Interrogation

**Author's Note: I just wanted to say thanks so much to all of you who are enjoying my story; I am enjoying writing it. I have truly appreciated all the feedback. Thanks again.**

Eric opened his eyes. He looked down at Pam who was still asleep in his arms. The burns on her face, neck, and hands had completely healed during the day. He stroked his hand down the side of her face. She looked as perfect and beautiful as she had the night he turned her. But he knew she would still be blind when she woke up. A month. How the hell was he going to keep her occupied for a month? He knew she was going to want to go back to her own house, maybe even back to work at Fangtasia; but he wasn't going to allow it. He wasn't going to let her out of his house until her eyes regenerated and he was confident she could fully defend herself.

Their situation was much more dangerous than he had originally thought. Eric rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. This was more than just drainers. What had happened last night pointed to a different kind of attack. Drainers only hunted a single vampire at a time. Drainers would kidnap a vampire, harvest the blood, and then either kill the vampire or leave him to the sun. No, this was something else. If it should turn out that Rene really had put bombs in Fangtasia, then someone was trying to exterminate them, and it had nothing to do with dealing V for profit. Furthermore, whoever was behind it didn't care if they killed a slew of humans along with the vampires. Someone was trying to send a message.

Eric got out of bed. He walked over to his dresser and picked up his cell. As expected, he had a text from Bobby.

"_Mr. Northman, the Cleaners will arrive at 8:00pm this evening. I will call with results of the sweep."_

That would help. He needed information. He wished he was able to interrogate Rene. _Gods damn Long Shadow._ Eric itched to separate his head from his shoulders. The stupid shit had killed Rene too quickly. The human waste-of-skin should have been kept alive until they had every scrap of information inside his head. He looked over at Pam. He would have relished extracting that information from Rene. Then he would have killed him slowly, over a period of days. As it was now, because of Long Shadow's stupidity, he was denied both the opportunity for information and vengeance.

Not for the first time, Eric regretted bringing the Indian into his retinue. He had been a problem from night one. Long Shadow was the reason they had needed a human bouncer in the first place. He couldn't be trusted around humans. He had no impulse control. He gave no thought to the consequences or potential fallout of his actions. He was a liability; all brawn and no brains. Eric knew he was going to have to find a way to hoist Long Shadow off on another kingdom, or at the very least another area. Maybe he could send him to New Orleans. Let that asshole Andre deal with him. He smiled to himself, that thought improved his mood.

Then there was the girl upstairs. Eric thought about her as he walked into his bathroom. Sookie Stackhouse, sister of suspected drainer Jason Stackhouse. What was she? He knew she was human, but she didn't smell like ordinary humans. His glamour hadn't worked on her last night. He still could barely believe that. Could she really be a telepath? And if she was, could she read vampire minds? Again, he needed more information. He needed Bobby to call with an update, and he needed to talk to Compton.

Eric stepped into the shower. _Shit, what a cluster-fuck this was._ Pam was injured and he knew she was going to be a handful. He had drainers and bombs to deal with. His bartender was a loose cannon and a fucking moron. And last but not least he might have just procured himself a telepath which would present an array of possibilities as well as some problems. He wondered what she was doing right now. Would he find her hiding under the bed or in the closet? He felt a surge of lust. Regardless of what she was, he couldn't deny that he was attracted to her.

He finished his shower and stepped out to dry himself off. Walking back to his bedroom, he went to his closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. He glanced over at Pam as he dressed; she was still asleep. He always rose about an hour before her, but tonight she might sleep even later because of her injury. It would be at least another hour before the Cleaners arrived at Fangtasia to begin the sweep. He had some time to kill. Eric smiled. He would go upstairs to check on his little houseguest. He couldn't have her thinking he was an inattentive host.

….v-V-v….

Wanting to catch her off guard, Eric quietly unlocked the door, and gently pushed it open. He stepped inside. She was sound asleep in the bed. And she was naked; he could see the curve of her breast peeking out from beneath the sheet. The girl had managed to surprise him again. He stared down at her. She was curled on her side, one hand resting underneath her cheek. There were dark blue circles under her eyes. He frowned. He hadn't struck her in the face. It must be fatigue.

He inhaled slowly. She smelled even better now than she had last night. She had bathed. Her hair was clean and shiny and he could smell the soap. He could also smell her wounds. The aroma coming from her cuts was sweet and rich. His fangs dropped down as he gazed at her, almost entranced. He was so tempted to … _no, _he would control himself. He was not some newly turned vampire without self-control. He could wait. Patience was a virtue, and it had served him well over the centuries. After all, it wasn't like she was going anywhere. Eric walked across the room and sat down in the chair. She had to wake up eventually.

Sookie rolled over and sighed. She was so comfortable. She was at home in her bedroom and Gran was already up making breakfast. She could smell coffee and bacon sizzling. Smiling, she opened her eyes.

The vampire was sitting in the chair across from the bed, staring at her. She sat bolt upright and gasped. The coverlet and sheet fell to her waist. Grabbing the covers as fast as she could, she pulled them up to her neck and scooted as far back against the headboard as she could get.

"_Were you dreaming of me?" _he asked, smiling.

She wanted to slap that smile off his arrogant face. It had just been a dream. Her beautiful dream about Gran hadn't been real.

"_I was dreaming about my grandmother" _she replied quietly.

"_Do you find the room to your liking?"_

Sookie pressed her lips together and stared at him, not responding.

"_The bathroom must have met with your approval. I see you enjoyed its amenities." _He paused._ "I think we should discuss the events of last night, don't you?" _

He heard the girl's heart begin to speed up but she still didn't say anything.

"_How did you know about the explosives?"_

"_I told you" _Sookie whispered _"I read that man's mind."_

"_And how do you read minds?"_

She closed her eyes and her shoulders slumped. _"The words just come into my head. I don't know how. It's always been that way."_

"_Always?"_

"_For as long as I can remember, since I was a little girl."_

Eric was silent as he processed that. He continued to gaze at the girl. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"_What am I thinking?"_

Sookie opened her eyes and shook her head.

"_I can't hear anything from you … or Pam. I didn't hear that other vampire either … the one with the black hair."_

Could he believe her? He tried to project a thought into her mind. He thought about bringing her brother's head to her on a silver platter. He thought about leaping onto the bed and disemboweling her alive. He watched her carefully. No reaction. She was still slumped against the headboard. Her pulse and breathing did not increase.

"_What was Rene thinking last night, … exactly?"_

"_He was thinking about how much he hated all of you … vampires, I mean. And he hated the humans with you. He wanted you all to burn in hell. He was thinking about the bombs and how he'd be a hero. And … he thought something about a fellowship."_

Eric's eyes narrowed dangerously and he clenched the armrests on the chair.

"_What did you just say?" _he hissed icily.

Sookie's eyes widened and her heart began to pound. She pushed herself harder against the headboard of the bed. What had she done wrong? He was staring at her like he wanted to rip her head off.

"_That … that word … fellowship. The man thought it … in his head" _she stuttered.

Eric's fangs snapped down in anger. _The cock-sucking Fellowship of the Sun!_ An anti-vampire militant group that masqueraded as a church. Just then his cell went off and the little human squeaked in surprise. He glanced down. It was a text from Bobby.

"_Explosive devices found. Cleaning underway. Will call when complete."_

Eric gritted his teeth together. He was so angry he wanted to crush the cell-phone in his fist. He looked at the girl. She had squeezed herself into a tight little ball and seemed to be trying to make herself invisible. He stood up and walked over to the bed. He leaned over her until his face was just inches away from hers.

"_Maybe you know about the bombs because you were working with Rene" _he whispered. "_Maybe you betrayed him last night to save your own skin."_

Sookie started to shake.

"_No … no" _she said, her voice trembling. _"I've never seen that man before. I swear. Please … I never saw him before last night."_

Eric kept his eyes locked with the girl's. She held his gaze and did not look away. Finally, he straightened and went back over to the chair.

"_Who else knows you're a telepath?" _he said sitting down.

"_Just my grandmother and my brother knew. And a few friends in Bon Temps. But a lot of people know I'm not right. They just think I'm slow or autistic or something."_

Sookie sniffled a little and wiped a tear away with the back of her hand.

"_Why did you come to Shreveport?" _Eric asked.

She took a deep breath and sighed. Tears sprang back into her eyes.

"_I'm just trying to make some money. I want to buy my grandmother's house back. Jason lost it, and I have to get it back. There's more work here than there is in Bon Temps. I work as much as I can at Apollo's Diner and I clean houses too."_

Eric considered the matter carefully. Could it really be as simple as this? Had a genuine telepath just fallen into his lap?

"_Invite me into your apartment" _he said abruptly.

Sookie looked over at him startled. _"Wha … what?"_

He smiled wickedly.

"_Repeat after me: Eric Northman, you are invited into my apartment and so is any other vampire you choose to allow admittance."_

For a second, her mind went blank and she stared at him mutely. Her apartment? _What did he want in her apartment?_

He stood up and sauntered back to her. He hooked one finger in the covers that she had clutched at her throat.

"_You're going to need your clothes."_

He tugged a little at the covers and Sookie tightened her grip.

"_That is, of course, unless you prefer to go naked. I wouldn't mind you going naked. Neither would Pam."_

He was going to get her clothes. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! How long was he going to keep her here? She had heard that vampires couldn't go into a home without an invitation. She had to say it. If she didn't, she wouldn't have anything to wear except this sheet.

Sookie swallowed hard. _"Eric Northman, you're invited into my apartment, and any other vampire you choose" _she said.

Eric let go of the covers and stroked her cheek.

"_See" _he purred _"that wasn't so hard, was it?"_

Before she could answer, her stomach growled loudly. She realized that it had probably been twenty-four hours since she had last eaten. She looked up at the vampire.

"_I'm hungry" _she said.

….v-V-v….

He dialed Compton's number as he walked down the steps to his nest. The call went straight into voicemail.

"_Bill, I want you to meet me at Sookie Stackhouse's apartment tonight at ten. Bring your files on her and her brother; I want everything you've got. And bring some suitcases."_

"_So we're going to keep her?" _Pam's voice rang out from her suite.

Eric smiled. It seemed his child was up and had found her way to her own rooms. He followed her voice.

"_I'm considering it" _he replied noncommittally.

Pam was sitting in her chaise lounge, wrapped in her favorite Dolce and Gabbana robe. Her eyes were closed.

"_Someone's smitten"_ she drawled.

"_She could prove to be valuable" _he said.

Pam grinned but didn't say anything else.

"_Let me see your eyes" _he said gently.

She hesitated for a moment and then opened her eyes. The orbs were still there, but they were clouded over. He could barely see the deep blue of her irises. She looked like a human with severe cataracts. He couldn't think of anything to say. He had become complacent and had let this happen to her.

Feeling his tension, Pam closed her eyes and pouted.

"_You don't have anything to eat in the house. I'm hungry'" _she said.

Eric choked back a short laugh.

"_I'm getting that a lot lately" _he said. _"There's some Tru Blood in the refrigerator."_

"_I'm not drinking that swill. How could you let your supply of bagged stock run out? When you meet Compton tonight, stop by the blood bank and bring me back some AB neg."_

"_Spoiled"_ he said tenderly.

"_Worth it" _she replied.


	8. Hovel

**Author's Note: Sorry it has taken so long for this chapter. I had houseguests for a week and then was swamped at work. I was worn out, but I'm going to do my best to make up for lost time! Thanks for understanding.**

Eric stood outside the rundown apartment building. It was a plain five-story rectangular building dotted with small square windows. He took in the surroundings. The lighting around the building was poor, there was paint peeling in various places, and the so-called parking lot was cracked and broken. It occurred to him that he'd be lucky to drive away with all four of Pam's hub-caps still attached to the wheels of her Lexus. This dump would make any slum-lord proud. The place reminded him of low-rent tenement buildings he'd seen during the Industrial Revolution. Eric curled his lip in distaste at the memory. He had hated the Industrial Revolution. The factories had made the air stink. The cities had been filthy and the people in them even filthier. It made him all the more appreciative of modern day luxury. Humans of this era had no idea how good they had it, especially American and European humans.

He looked down at the set of keys in his hand. The girl had been clutching them when he had snatched her last night. He'd quickly pocketed them when she'd dropped them on the ground. There were only five keys on the ring. He assumed the one marked 2B was her apartment key. Walking inside the building, Eric looked around. The inside was actually worse than the outside with more peeling paint, cracked flooring, and burned out light bulbs. And it was dirty. There was dust and grime almost everywhere he looked. He could smell mold and mildew in the walls. How did this place stay open? Didn't humans today have health inspectors to maintain minimum-code standards? He ought to know; they damn well came into Fangtasia often enough. Of course a little dose of glamour always managed to keep them out of the basement. He supposed something like that was going on here; a bribe every now and then and the local code officer would look the other way.

The lobby, such as it was, was empty and Eric glanced around for directions to 2B. A sign on the wall read _1B - 4B_ with an arrow pointing down a flight of stairs. Following the sign, he walked down the steps. An intoxicated human male was sprawled out unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. Not bothering to step over the human, Eric kicked him out of his way and proceeded down the hall. A rat scurried off in front of him. He passed a boiler room on his left. This level had no proper apartments; it was clearly a basement that had been converted for the sake of cheap rent. He came to a door with the letters _2B_ and slipped the key into the lock, smiling as he remembered how he had _persuaded_ the girl to issue him an invitation. Opening the door, Eric crossed the threshold and stepped inside.

He wasn't sure exactly what he had been expecting, but it sure as hell wasn't _this._ The small room was little more than a hovel. Directly in front of him was a battered old table with three chairs surrounding it. On top of the table sat a microwave and a machine that made that black liquid that humans liked to drink. Beside the black liquid machine was some mail neatly stacked in a small basket. To the right of the table there was a tiny refrigerator that was no more than three feet tall. Eric opened it and looked inside. It held a carton of milk and a box of something that said _corn flakes._ He had no idea what the fuck corn flakes were. There were a few more boxes of human food stacked on top of the small refrigerator. This so-called _apartment_ had no real kitchen for cooking human food at all. His own nest had a huge kitchen, even though he and Pam used nothing in it except the refrigerator and microwave for bagged blood.

Eric's eyes scanned around the rest of the rat-trap the girl had been living in. Pushed against the opposite wall was a chest-of-drawers and a small cot that had been neatly made up. She didn't even have a real bed! He had been sleeping in a bed since the Renaissance but Sookie Stackhouse was sleeping on a tiny cot that didn't even have a mattress. The only other piece of real furniture in the room was a worn out sofa that looked like it dated back to the 1960s. There was no computer and no television that he could see. Didn't all humans watch television? He was becoming more and more confused. Why was a telepath living in a shit-hole like this? And what was a telepath doing waiting tables at a diner?

There was one more door to the right of the sofa. He opened it and looked inside. It was a tiny bathroom with an old rusted toilet, a sink, and a stall-like shower. Water was dripping down from an exposed pipe above the shower. The room held human bath and cleaning products. He smelled ammonia and disinfectant. The girl was trying to keep the hovel as clean as she could.

Walking back to the table, Eric picked up the basket of mail and began to flip through it. There were bank statements and several letters post-marked from Bon Temps. He opened them and scanned their contents. The bank statements consisted mainly of deposits and a few small withdrawals. The girl had a couple thousand dollars in a simple savings account but nothing that would amount to much. There was a letter from a law firm called _Lancaster & Bellefleur_ about a bank foreclosure, and a listing for resale of real estate property. That must be the girl's house in Bon Temps that her idiot brother had gambled away. There were also personal letters from Sam Merlotte and someone named Tara Thornton. He knew Merlotte was a pure shifter who owned a bar in Bon Temps, but he had never heard of this Tara Thornton. The letters were mainly full of human drivel about how much they missed Sookie and about the goings-on in the town. However, one line in the letter from Merlotte caught his eye. _"Sook, please don't worry about your belongings, everything is safe in my storage unit. I check on it once a week."_ So the shifter was keeping the girl's personal possessions for her. That explained some of the sparseness of this hovel. There really didn't seem to be much here that the girl could lay claim to.

He looked over at the chest-of-drawers pushed against the wall. Her clothing must be in there. Suddenly curious, Eric walked over to it and began opening the drawers one by one. The top drawer held make-up and some human female items. The second one, much to his surprise, had books in it. There was a Christian Bible with the names of ancestors written inside. Another book was called _Little Women._ He opened it and flipped through its pages. Inside the cover was a handwritten note,

_For my Sookie, the most wonderful granddaughter in the whole world._

_Happy 10__th__ Birthday. I love you so much._

_Gran_

There were also books with clear plastic pages containing many photographs of humans, as well as various things that he assumed must be human mementos. He studied the photographs carefully. There were many pictures of the girl and her brother at different ages, often shown with a much older woman. The old woman must be the deceased grandmother. Eric closed the picture books and searched through the rest of the drawers. All of the others contained only plain clothing. The garments were unimpressive and did not appear to be very well made. They were nothing like the clothing Pam wore.

Eric thought about this apartment and its contents. So far the things he had found in this place seemed to support the girl's story. She had little money and very few possessions. Compton said she had lost her home and had been working at that Greek diner here in Shreveport for just over a year. He wanted to read Compton's entire file on her and her brother. He wanted to know everything about both of them.

One thing was very clear. The girl was a victim of human sentimentality. That much was obvious from the drawer filled with useless picture books. When he had interrogated her last night, she said she wanted to get her grandmother's house back. She had been sobbing when she said that. He thought about how he could use that knowledge to his advantage. He might not be able to glamour her, but he could still use her weak human emotions against her.

Just then Eric turned to the apartment doorway. He could smell another vampire and hear footsteps moving down the hall towards him. Then his Area Investigator was standing at the threshold, burdened with several suitcases.

"_Bill Compton, you may enter this human's dwelling"_ Eric said.

"_Good evening Sheriff, how may I be of assistance tonight?"_ Bill replied, walking into the apartment.

Compton was a good Investigator and Eric often called on him for research and legwork. He was tenacious and thorough, and the position suited his personality. Bill did not do well in groups and always preferred to work alone. He was smart but not overly ambitious. He also knew how to keep his mouth shut. Eric valued and admired that trait especially.

"_Has Bobby briefed you on the situation at Fangtasia yet?" _Eric asked.

"_He has. I understand there was an attack last night and that we had a saboteur in our midst."_

"_The bouncer, Rene" _Eric replied. _ "Long Shadow ripped his head off before I could get any information out of him. But I have reason to suspect that he was planted by the Fellowship of the Sun. This is your new number one priority, Bill. Find out who is the mastermind behind these bombs. There is no fucking way that Rene was working alone. I want to know who is pulling the puppet's strings."_

Bill met Eric's eyes and nodded grimly.

"_I will work on this to the exclusion of everything else"_ he stated in a cool voice.

"_There is also a chance that Jason Stackhouse may somehow be involved" _Eric added.

"_Now that does surprise me"_ said Bill. _"We know that Stackhouse is a gambling addict and a V user, and he has also been seen in the company of a known female drainer; but I don't have anything linking him to the Fellowship."_

"_What about his sister?" _Eric asked.

Bill shook his dark head. _"No, nothing like that. The girl is a simple waitress, Eric. There is no history of religious extremism with either her or her brother. She attends a mainline Baptist church. There's really nothing unusual about her, except maybe that she worked for a shifter when she lived in Bon Temps." _

He paused for a moment. _"But I will say that many of the townspeople seem to think that she is peculiar. They describe her as nice girl, but strange or odd. And a few of the ones I talked to almost seemed to be a little bit afraid of her, though they were in the minority. Most of them just felt sorry for her when she lost her house. That's why she's ended up in Shreveport. Apparently she's trying to earn enough money to buy the family homeplace back."_

"_Does she have any family besides her brother?"_

"_Almost all of her people are gone" _Bill replied. _"Her parents drowned in an automobile accident when she was a child. She and her brother were raised by their paternal grandmother, Adele Stackhouse, but she died of cancer about three years ago. There was one cousin who got involved with drugs and disappeared a few years back. No one had heard from her in several years. And her grandmother's brother is still alive, an old man by the name of Bartlett Hale._

"_Any close friends, a boyfriend?" _Eric asked.

"_No boyfriend, apparently she doesn't date; although she is quite attractive. Her shifter boss, Merlotte, is very fond of her; and she has several friends who work in that redneck bar he owns."_

"_You've managed to find out quite a bit, Bill" _Eric observed dryly.

Bill smiled without humor. _"One thing that never changes about small Southern towns, Sheriff, is the gossip."_

Eric smirked. _"I've taken Stackhouse's sister for safe keeping until we find him. As I said before, our first priority is to find out who is behind this attempted bombing. But I also want you to begin quietly looking for Jason Stackhouse. I want to know if he is connected to this and also how deep he is in with the drainers. But do not kill him. Take him alive. And I want proof, you understand? Hard evidence not circumstantial conjecture."_

"_I understand completely" _Bill said.

"_In the meantime, pack up the girl's clothes; everything that is in that chest-of-drawers, including the books, and deliver them to my nest. And find the building manager of this shit-hole and glamour him. Make him believe the girl paid her rent in full and moved away. You brought the files with you?"_

Bill handed a plain manila envelope to his Sheriff. Eric turned and walked over to the table. He picked up the girl's mail and put it inside the file.

"_Oh, and one other thing"_ Eric added, as he made his way to the door. _"When you glamour the building manager, have him turn himself and the owner of this cesspool in to the local housing authority."_

"_It will be my pleasure, Sheriff" _Bill said, smiling.


	9. Personal Assistant

Sookie tensed when she heard the deadbolt turning in the lock. She had been sitting in bed trying to come up with some strategy that might get her out of this nightmare. She was also trying desperately to ignore her increasingly empty and gnawing stomach. She was really hungry. Her last meal had been lunch the day before. The door swung open and she was surprised to see Pam, wrapped in a white and gold robe, standing in the doorway.

"_I need your eyes, Cupcake" _the female vampire said.

"_My … my eyes?" _Sookie stuttered.

Pam huffed out an exasperated sigh.

"_Oh, relax Cupcake. I'm not planning on plucking them out of your head. Now put a sock in it and follow me."_

"_I don't have any socks … or anything else for that matter" _Sookie mumbled.

What did Pam expect? Did she expect her to just hop out of bed and follow her around this house as naked as the day she was born? With Eric lurking God only knew where? But of course Pam couldn't see that she was naked.

"_Uh, Pam, I don't have anything to wear."_

"_So? You don't need anything. Now stop talking and follow me. This is not a debate we're having, Cupcake"_ Pam replied.

Not knowing what else to do, Sookie got out of bed pulling the bed sheet with her. She wrapped the sheet around herself, trying to fashion a makeshift toga. The last thing she needed right now was to have Pam aggravated with her; she was having enough trouble with Eric the Neanderthal Vampire.

Pam turned and began walking down the hallway, one of her fingers sliding along the wall as she walked. Sookie followed along behind her tentatively, her eyes darting back and forth, looking for Eric. Where was he? Was he going to suddenly jump out from one of the doorways and grab her? Sookie wanted to ask Pam what was going on, but she was afraid of the answer she might get.

"_Just be patient" _she thought to herself. _"Be patient and cooperative. Don't give them any reason to get angry with you."_

They reached the staircase and Pam began to descend, one of her hands gripping the banister. Sookie picked up the train of her sheet so she wouldn't trip and plow into Pam as they went down. When they reached the bottom, Pam turned to face her, her eyes closed and her right hand stretched out.

"_Ok, Cupcake, take my hand and lead me over to the leather chair behind the desk in the library. And don't try anything stupid or I'll rip your arm out of the socket and have dinner. This house is on lock-down; all the doors and windows have security shutters covering them so don't bother trying to make a run for it. Besides, I don't need eyes to catch you. I can chase you down by scent with no problem."_ Pam grinned and smirked, showing Sookie her fangs.

Deciding she really had no response to that little speech, Sookie took Pam's outstretched hand and did as she was bid, leading the vampire into the library and over to the ornate wooden desk.

"_I'll pull the chair out for you" _Sookie said.

"_Of course you will" _the blond vampire replied as she sat down in the plush leather chair.

Sookie glanced around the room. It was beautifully and lavishly furnished like all other parts of the house that she had seen so far. The furniture was all heavy dark wood and covered in leather. Another thick Oriental Persian rug covered the hardwood floor, and silk draperies hung over the windows. Sookie stared at those windows and swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. What Pam had told her was true, there were some kind of metal shutters covering all the windows in the room. She couldn't see outside and she realized that anyone passing by the house would not be able to see in either. She felt flutters of panic and claustrophobia start to stir again in the pit of her stomach.

"_Alright Cupcake, here's your chance to shine," _Pam said. _"Pull up a chair and open the laptop on the desk."_

Trying to shake off the budding anxiety attack, Sookie looked around at all the large heavy furniture until her eyes settled on an ottoman. She walked over to it and pushed it back to beside where Pam sat at the desk. Sitting down beside the vampire, Sookie gingerly opened the top of the laptop computer.

"_Ahm, I don't know very much about computers" _she said to Pam.

"_You don't need to know much. All you have to do is understand English and be able to point and click. You can do that much right?" _Pam asked snarkily.

Sookie felt her back straighten like an arrow and she clenched her jaw.

"_Yes ... I … can" _she ground out.

"_Tone, Cupcake, I hear tone" _Pam grinned.

"_Click the START icon. When the window asks you for the password type in 'high-maintenance,' with a dash between the words high and maintenance. _

Sookie followed Pam's instructions and the computer screen opened up to the Google webpage.

"_It says Google."_

"_Good, now I want you to type in the words 'designer sunglasses'. We're going to shop. I want at least one pair in every color, and four pairs in pink. Versace, Dior, Prada, Gucci, and Dolce & Gabbana are my favorite designers. Get to clicking, Cupcake._

-vv-V-vv—

Eric maneuvered Pam's Lexus through downtown Shreveport. He had just left the blood bank with her extremely expensive supply of AB negative blood. It was currently on ice in a cooler in the back seat. He shook his head slightly already knowing that just feeding Pam for the next month was going to be expensive. The Great Revelation had turned out to be something of a windfall for those humans with the rarer blood types. They could now sell their blood to blood banks at exorbitant prices. The blood banks in turn then jacked up the prices even higher to resell to vampires with discriminating tastes. Eric sneered to himself; the gods did indeed bless American free trade.

Straight ahead he saw what he was looking for; the brightly lit blue and white sign '_Apollo's Greek Diner, Open 24 Hours a Day.'_ Pulling into the parking lot, Eric parked the car and got out. Sookie had said the owner's name was Ari. Keeping that in mind, he walked up to the front of the restaurant and went inside. Immediately his nose was assaulted by the unpleasant scents of human food in various stages of cooking. It was something he had gotten used to over the centuries, a necessity that simply had to be accepted and dealt with. They could not survive without humans and humans could not survive without food. Most humans certainly did seem to enjoy themselves when eating and drinking. He had been vampire for so long that he couldn't remember what human food had tasted like. Except for honey, he remembered the sweetness, the richness and purity of honey. Honey had tasted the way that Sookie smelled.

Snapping out of his reverie, Eric looked around the restaurant. It was large and bright and clean, and clearly successful. The booths and tables were packed with families, couples, and students eating and enjoying themselves. An older woman of about sixty approached him smiling.

"_Welcome to Apollo's sir, how many will be in your party?"_ she asked through a thick Greek accent.

He gave her his most charming smile and threw out just a touch of glamour.

"_Thank you, I'm looking for Ari. Is he in tonight?"_

The woman blushed and chuckled, putting her hand on his arm.

"_Oh, my Ari is always in, we have to drag him out every night. I may be his wife but the diner is his mistress and she gets more attention than I do."_

She turned and waved to a short, round man about her same age. He was laughing and talking with a family seated in one of the booths. When he saw her waving to him he hurried over to her side.

Eric gave them both a huge smile and a little more glamour.

"_I'm a friend of Sookie Stackhouse. Is there somewhere we could talk privately?"_

"_Of course, yes, we will go to my office, come right this way" _Ari said. _"Elena, you keep watch on the floor."_

Eric turned to the woman, took her hand and kissed it.

"_Thank you, Elena. I promise I won't keep your husband for long." _

She blushed again and giggled like a teenage girl on her first date. Then she turned and went to mingle with the customers.

Ari led him through the dining room, past an enormous kitchen, and into an office in the back of the restaurant. Looking around, Eric supposed it was homey in a human sort of way. There were pictures of Ari and Elena and people who he assumed were their children and grandchildren. He thought about the picture books he had found in Sookie's apartment. Why were humans so obsessed with taking photographs of themselves?

"_Now young man, what can I do for you? You say you are a friend of Sookie's? Is everything alright with her?"_

"_Everything is going to be fine" _Eric said smoothly. _"But there's been a small accident. Sookie fell down the steps in her apartment building and broke her leg. She's going to be alright; she is staying with friends and they are taking excellent care of her. Unfortunately she won't be able to work for a while."_

Ari appeared stricken.

"_But this is terrible news. That poor girl! You must tell me what I can do to help."_

Eric nodded solemnly, _"We're looking for her brother. Need to let him know what's happened. Have you seen or heard from him by chance?"_

The human frowned and shook his head.

"_No, no, I have never met him. Sookie has worked for me for over a year and he has never come in here. She says he is a drug addict and a gambler. He is the reason the poor child lost her home. If I ever meet him I will spit in his eye. And her such a nice girl too, so hard working and old fashioned."_

Eric smiled blandly and nodded at the little Greek human again.

"_Well, thank you for your time Ari, you've been a great help" _the vampire said. _"Perhaps if Sookie's brother does happen to drop by looking for her, you could give me a call?"_

He pulled out his wallet and handed the human a business card which was completely plain except for _E. Northman_ and his cell phone number.

"_But you cannot leave yet, you must tell me what I can do to help Sookie"_ Ari replied while pocketing the business card.

Eric thought for a moment.

"_Actually there is something. I'm sure that Sookie would enjoy it if I brought her favorite meal back to her."_

A huge smile split Ari's round face and he practically bounced up and down.

"_But of course, I will make it for her myself. One large Greek salad with a side of marinated chicken coming up; on the house. You give it to her with mine and Elena's love. Tell her to get better soon!"_

"_Oh I have no doubt her circumstances will be improving quite soon"_ Eric said with a smile, as he followed Ari back out into the restaurant.

Twenty minutes later, he was back in Pam's Lexus and heading toward his nest; dinner for both of his females riding along with him.


	10. Dinner For Three

**Wow. You guys are the best! Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement; that made me happy. It really means a lot to me that you all stuck with me, even though it took me forever to publish Chapter 9. I promise that I am going to finish this story no matter how long it takes. Smiles and waves. **

Eric parked Pam's car under the portico but made no move to get out. He needed a few minutes to think. Everything he had learned so far supported the girl's story. Her living conditions, the letters from her friends in that back-water town, the human diner owner, even Compton's own research pointed to her innocence.

It was just so hard to believe, so fucking incredible. He had a living breathing human telepath tucked away in his house, at his mercy! What were the chances? In his entire existence, almost eleven hundred years, he had only known two. Telepaths were rare and valuable. And there was absolutely no way he was going to let this girl slip through his fingers. He had her in his nest, isolated from her friends and family. She was his to do with as he pleased.

Still, he knew he was going to have to do some damage control. He had been rough with her the night before and he now realized that he wouldn't be able to glamour that memory away. He wanted her telepathy but he also wanted her. There was no point in lying to himself; he wanted her blood and her body. She was beautiful and the way she smelled … it was almost intoxicating.

He needed to find a way to bend her to him but not break her. She would be of no use in any capacity if she were traumatized. It was fine for her to be a little frightened of him, after all she should be. But he did not want her so terrorized that she collapsed into a blubbering mess. Eric considered the matter carefully. What would be the most effective way to control the girl? What did she want out of her paltry human life?

She had come to Shreveport for work. She'd said she needed money to buy back her grandmother's house. He reached over to the passenger's seat and picked up Compton's file. Opening it, Eric scanned the contents until he came to some photographs. There were several pictures of a poorly maintained farmhouse in the middle of nowhere surrounded by about one hundred acres of wooded land. The land was probably worth more than the dwelling. Was this really all the girl wanted, just some ramshackle old farmhouse? Eric estimated that he could probably purchase the land and the house from the bank for around two hundred thousand dollars, maybe less.

He grinned as he sat in the car. That was a meager price to pay for a telepath. And the irony of it was that the girl had absolutely no idea of her worth. Had she ever even thought about using her gift for financial gain? He didn't think so. She was working in a diner for minimum wage plus tips, for the gods' sakes. He could provide her with much more than that.

And then there was her brother. Jason Stackhouse factored into this as well. Eric was willing to bet that in spite of everything, Sookie still loved the sack of shit. Humans were like that. They could and would put up with an extraordinary amount of abuse from their kin. And Jason Stackhouse was the only living relative that Sookie had left, besides some old uncle somewhere. If her grandmother's house wasn't enough persuasion, he could always dangle her brother's life in front of her eyes; just like holding out a carrot to a timid little rabbit.

Decision made, Eric opened the car door and got out. Opening the door to the backseat, he picked up Sookie's take-out from Apollo's in his right hand, and grabbed Pam's cooler of AB negative blood with his left. Then he went inside his nest.

-v-v—V—v-v-

They had been at it for two hours. Sookie had described countless pairs of sunglasses to Pam and her wrist and fingers were starting to cramp up from using the stupid mouse. So far she had purchased fourteen pairs with Pam's credit card number and spent a little over two thousand dollars. She was lucky if she made two thousand dollars in a month. And just to add insult to injury, she was so hungry she thought she was going to be sick. She was nauseous, her head hurt, and she was slightly dizzy. The clock on the computer read 12:10am. She hadn't had anything to eat in over thirty-six hours and she was very close to begging Pam to order her some food with that fancy credit card of hers.

Suddenly there was a noise from the foyer that sounded like an automatic garage door opening. Sookie looked up as the front door swung open and Eric walked into the foyer with a bag in one hand and a cooler in the other.

"_Well it's about damn time"_ Pam said. "_I'm starving and Cupcake's stomach is about to deafen me."_

"_Ladies, I see that we're bonding."_

Eric raised both hands and Sookie recognized the blue and white checkered bag of Apollo's carry-out. She almost whimpered.

"_Dinner is served" _Eric said.

Pam immediately stood up and held her hand out to Sookie.

"_Let's go to the kitchen Cupcake."_

Sookie took Pam's hand and looked over at Eric. He grinned and shook the Apollo's bag at her.

"_Right this way"_ he said.

With one hand holding Pam's and the other tightly clutching the sheet she had wrapped around herself, Sookie led Pam into the foyer. She followed Eric as he walked past the staircase and down another hallway. They passed a beautiful formal dining room, but Sookie didn't pay it much attention. Her eyes and nose were totally focused on that bag of food in the vampire's hand. She could smell the oregano, lemon, and herbs of her favorite marinated Greek chicken.

"_That garlic stinks, Eric. Now the whole house is going to reek of it. What were you thinking?" _Pam groused.

"_Oh, I think it will be alright, Pam. Just this once, a little treat for our guest. Besides, don't you think she deserves a small reward? I see she's been helping you out with some domestic matters."_

"_Barely. I've had to talk her through even the tiniest of details. She knows next to nothing about computers or internet shopping" _Pam replied. _"Honestly, Cupcake, how have you managed to survive in the twenty-first century?"_

"_I've done just fine up until now" _Sookie said defensively. She tried to ignore the little voice in her head. That little voice was snorting and saying, '_Oh yeah, girl, you've done so well for yourself that you've managed to wind up homeless and kidnapped by vampires.'_

They reached the end of the hall and passed through a doorway that opened up into a large modern kitchen with black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Eric walked over to a round glass-top table and pulled out a chair for Pam. He held out the Apollo's take-out bag to Sookie and she all but snatched it out of his hand.

Her mouth watering, Sookie sat down beside Pam and practically tore the bag in half to get to the carry-out boxes inside. Opening them up, she found her favorite Greek salad and Ari's signature marinated chicken strips. There were also several pieces of baklava. Nothing had ever smelled so good to her before and she ripped the wrapping off of her plastic-ware and dove into the chicken without another thought to either vampire. The food was pure bliss and she almost cried with relief.

"_Oh no, don't mind us, Cupcake, you go right ahead and start. We wouldn't dream of having you wait" _Pam said sarcastically.

Sookie swallowed and tried to slow down. She glanced at Pam and then looked over at Eric. He was standing on the other side of the kitchen, the cooler at his feet and two bags of blood in his hands. He put the blood into a microwave and turned it on.

Sookie looked back down at her own food. '_Just don't think about it. Eat your food and don't think about it', _she thought to herself. She took a few bites of salad. Surprisingly, the sight of that blood had not put a dent in her appetite. The salad was delicious and every bit as good as the chicken. She sighed and closed her eyes, savoring the hot tangy peppers and salty feta.

The microwave dinged but Sookie didn't look up. To hell with both of these vampires, they were not going to interrupt her meal. She had to eat. She needed her strength to be able to deal with them. Something was placed on the table in front of her. She looked up and to her shock saw that it was a glass of water. Turning her head, she watched as Eric put a glass of blood in front of Pam and then walk back to the counter to pick up his own glass of blood. He sauntered back to the table and took the empty chair on her other side. He sipped his blood and watched her like a hawk eyeing a field mouse.

"_You'll have to make a list of foods you like to eat" _the vampire said. _"I'll have groceries delivered for you."_

Sookie's heart rate began to speed up. To give herself some time, she reached for the glass of water and took a smalll swallow. She didn't like the way this was sounding. He was planning on keeping her here! What did he want? Why wouldn't he just let her go?

She carefully set the glass back on the table. "_I want to go home."_ She tried to keep her voice steady but the words came out with a slight tremor despite her best efforts.

Eric raised his eyebrows at her questioningly.

"_Back to that dingy little apartment?" _he asked. _"Isn't it nicer here?"_

Sookie took a deep steadying breath. "_I'm beat up. I don't have any clothes. And I've been starving all day."_

She silently congratulated herself for putting a little more force behind her voice and looking the vampire directly in his blue eyes. To her right she heard Pam snickering. Eric cocked his head at her and smiled. It was a very pretty smile but it didn't fool Sookie for a second. He could bat those blond eyelashes at her all night and it wouldn't change the fact that he had abducted and manhandled her, or that he was holding her captive.

"_Sookie, we got off to a bad start, and I admit that it was mostly my fault; but I can easily remedy all of these small issues. In fact, I have a proposal that could be mutually beneficial to us both. And of course, there is the more serious problem of your brother. We have to decide what's to be done about him."_

His sudden mention of Jason sent a chill down her spine. She didn't need to be able to read his mind to recognize a veiled threat when she heard one. She suddenly felt like she was in a very deadly game of high stakes poker. The problem was that she was playing blind. She couldn't see his cards, she couldn't see her own cards, and she didn't even know what bet was laid out on the table.

"_We can discuss the details later, after we eat" _Eric said, nodding at her food. _"Ari made that just for you. He and Elena send their love."_ He smiled wickedly and took another sip of his blood.

"_Ari and Elena … but … how" _she stuttered, tongue tied. Now the cold chills were running all over her body. Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea, what was happening to her life? What had this big bastard done to Ari and Elena? Had he hurt them?

A chime rang throughout the house.

"_That would be your clothes" _Eric said, winking at her.

-v-v—V—v-v-

He opened the front door for Bill who was standing on the threshold, a suitcase in each hand.

"_I've got one more suitcase and a box of her books in the back of my car" _Bill said.

He set the first two down in the foyer and turned around to go back out to his car. Eric watched him retrieve the remaining suitcase and box from his Volkswagen. Bill was probably the only vampire on Earth who drove a station wagon.

"_This is everything from her apartment. I found her building manager and took care of matters as you instructed."_

"_Excellent, take her clothes and books up to the blue guest suite."_

Nodding, Bill went up the stairs with the first load. All in all, Eric thought the evening was proceeding nicely so far.

"_Cupcake, where are you going?"_ he heard his child's voice call out from the kitchen. _"Come back here and heat up another glass of blood for me."_

He turned to see Sookie slowly creeping down the hall toward him. That ridiculous sheet was trailing behind her and she was gripping it like a lifeline. Her eyes were as big as saucers and he could hear her heart pounding. For some unknown reason, that bothered him. He should be glad that she was intimidated; a little fear would make her easier to control. Instead, Eric found himself wanting to put her at ease. She looked at the two suitcases still beside him and then her eyes moved up to his face. He could practically hear the gears turning in her brain, see all the questions in her eyes.

Just then Compton came back down the stairs. He stopped when he saw Sookie. _"Good evening, Miss" _he said, giving her a slight nod. She didn't say anything, just continued to look back and forth between the two vampires.

"_That will be all for tonight, Bill. I will take the rest of Miss Stackhouse's things up to her room."_

Bill nodded and walked to the front door. _"Good night then Sheriff, good night Miss."_

"_Aren't you going to say good night to me?" _Pam bellowed from the kitchen. Eric saw Bill roll his eyes just before he pulled the door closed behind him.

"_Sookie, why don't you go have a seat in the library. I'm going to heat some more blood for Pam and then you and I can discuss matters."_

She looked at him and bit her lip.

"_I want to put some clothes on" _she said.

"_And I want some more blood … NOW!" _Pam yelled.

Eric took a deep and completely unnecessary breath.

"_Pamela … I am going to take our guest's suitcases to her room. Then I will come back down and prepare another glass of blood for you."_

He heard Pam's '_Humph!'_ from the kitchen.

He picked up the remaining two suitcases and turned to Sookie. _"After you"_ he said.

She looked at him and then without a word picked up the bottom of her sheet and started up the stairs. When they reached her room, he carried the suitcases in and set them down next to the ones that Bill had already brought up.

"_After you dress, come downstairs to the library and we can talk about your future" _he said to his newly acquired telepath and future lover.


	11. Resolve

**Author's Note – Hi everybody. I'm kinda embarrassed to post this since it's been so long since I updated. I don't have any excuses. I'm just a slug. Anyway, let me apologize in advance for this chapter being so short. I'm using it as a segue to launch myself back into the story. As always, I do not own these characters.**

'_Come downstairs to the library and we can talk about your future. Talk about your future … your future.'_

Sookie stared at the open doorway. The vampire had gone back downstairs. He said he wanted to talk about her future. Her future? What the hell did that mean? What in the world was going on? Sookie shook her head trying to clear it. A thousand questions were racing through her mind. She took a slow deep breath.

"Ok" she said to herself. "One thing at a time."

She turned around and stared at the suitcases on the floor; there were three suitcases and a box with a lid sitting beside the bed. Walking over to them, she bent down, took the lid off the box and peered inside. Surprise flitted across her features. Inside were her books and photo albums. Everything was here, all the precious memories that she hadn't been able to leave behind in Sam's storage unit. The Stackhouse family Bible, the copy of '_Little Women'_ that Gran had given her, the photo albums from her childhood and teenage years. A wave of emotion rushed over her and she reached inside the box picking up '_Little Women.'_

"Oh Gran" Sookie whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "What am I going to do? I miss you so much." She held the book to her chest and clutched it tightly as if it were a lifeline.

Tears began to prick behind her eyes but she fought them back. She couldn't do this now. She needed to get dressed before the vampire changed his mind and decided that he liked her better in nothing but a sheet. She gently placed the copy of '_Little Women' _back in the box and turned to the three suitcases. Laying them across the bed, she cautiously opened each one. Inside were all her clothes, shoes, and toiletries. Seeing her belongings packed in these suitcases made her feel strangely violated, especially when she came to her panties and bras. That vampire had rifled through all her personal things. He had picked them up and touched them.

Well, at least she had some clothes to put on now, she thought, trying to make the best of it.

Sookie turned and looked at the bedroom door again. It was still standing wide open. Damn it, she wanted some privacy! With the sheet still wrapped around her, she walked over to the door and gently closed the gap until only a few inches remained open. She couldn't close it all the way because the damn doorknob was missing, and she was afraid that if she shut it completely she wouldn't be able to get it open again. Sighing, she went back over to her clothes and picked out a pair of soft old blue jeans and a Bon Temps High School football t-shirt.

'_What does he want with me? Why am I even here? Why won't he just let me go? Jason … where are you … what have you done? Is it your fault I'm here?'_

Her thoughts continued to whirl as she got dressed. She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on a pair of socks and old white sneakers that really weren't that white anymore. She found her hair barrettes and scrunchies in a zip-lock bag inside the first suitcase and carefully pulled her hair up into a high tight pony-tail. Looking down at herself, she wondered what else she could do to get ready. She was dressed now, but she didn't want to go downstairs and face those vampires. Instead she continued to just sit on the bed, staring at the cracked open doorway. She felt almost paralyzed with doubt and fear and indecision. Still, she knew she had to do something.

'_You have to go down there. You can't sit here stalling; he'll just come up and get you. Stand up Sookie. Stand up and face it. Walk down those stairs and show him you've got a backbone. Stackhouse women have backbones! You've been through worse than this before.'_

Sookie let her mind flash back to that horrible summer sixteen years ago, right after Mama and Daddy had died. She and Jason had just moved in with Gran, and her Uncle Bartlett had begun coming by to visit them almost every day.

Sookie gritted her teeth and balled her hands into fists. Damn right she'd been through worse than this, a lot worse.

'_You survived that, you're going to survive this'_ she told herself.

Standing up, Sookie walked over to the door, opened it, and went out into the hall. She headed toward the staircase and the vampire at the end of it.


	12. Business Proposition

Eric stood in the library, nursing a glass of Pam's ridiculously expensive AB negative. In spite of their current situation he felt oddly exhilarated. It had been a long time since he had been able to savor the anticipation of a coming conquest. So long in fact that he hadn't realized how much he missed it until now. Sookie Stackhouse. She didn't know it yet, but she was his. And he had so many plans.

The first thing he had to do was come to some sort of arrangement with her. He didn't think it would be too difficult. He might not be able to use glamour on her, but most humans were easily manipulated. And besides, there really was no challenge in glamour. No challenge meant no real satisfaction.

He would just have to be a little more creative with Sookie. He had plenty of leverage to work with. Her brother, that sad excuse for a farmhouse, the fact that she was dirt poor, not to mention his own considerable charms. Eric smirked to himself. He knew the effect he had on women; both human and supe females practically fell at his feet. For that matter, so did the men.

He heard footfalls from behind and he turned to see her coming down the stairs. It was an … interesting sight. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she wore no make-up. He thought she looked very young … except for her expression. The look on her face seemed to be a mixture of determination, defiance, and resignation. A strange combination to say the least. It was as if she was expecting the worst and was inwardly steeling herself to meet it head on. He had to admit it made him feel a grudging respect toward this human girl.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and stood in the foyer staring at him. Eric tried to smile at her in what he hoped was a pleasant reassuring way.

"Sookie, please come in and sit down."

She swallowed and walked slowly into the library. He gestured to a leather couch and she sat down watching him cautiously. She glanced around the room.

"Where's Pam?"

"Pam won't be joining us. She decided to retire for the evening. "

He had actually sent her to her suite for the night. He didn't want any interruptions while he laid the groundwork with his new telepath. Pam had already spent the first half of the night with Sookie, the second half was his.

"Are you feeling better after your meal?" he asked cordially.

Sookie stared at him wondering how she should respond. What kind of game was he playing? Were they just going to sit here and pretend to have polite after dinner chit-chat? _Like this was all perfectly_ _normal?_ Like he hadn't kidnapped and threatened to kill her? Like he wasn't holding her prisoner in this house? Ok, she could play this game.

"I'm feeling somewhat better, yes" she replied carefully.

She intentionally did not thank him for the food. '_I'll be damned if I thank him for anything' _she thought to herself. '_It's his fault I was starving in the first place.'_ He continued to smile at her in a bland condescending way.

"Sookie, I would like to make you an offer of employment."

For a split second, she thought her brain had actually ceased to function. Of all the statements that could have come out of his mouth, that was the last thing she had been expecting. She realized her mouth must be hanging open.

"Excuse me, but could you please repeat that" she asked incredulously.

"I would like to offer you a position in my retinue, a very well-paid position" he repeated.

_His retinue?_ Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! His effing _retinue_? Her mouth was suddenly open again and she closed it with a snap. She felt like she was in the Twilight Zone or maybe Oz. This couldn't really be happening. She looked down at her old sneakers. Maybe they would magically turn into ruby slippers any minute now.

"Allow me to explain" the vampire said.

"Sookie, have you ever considered using your special gift for business purposes, to better your position in life? Surely you don't wish to be a waitress forever? I am offering you full-time employment in exchange for your services as a telepath; and I'm willing to compensate you quite handsomely. What do think of say, five thousand dollars a month plus health benefits?"

Sookie felt like all of the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room, and for a moment she was sure she had lost the power of speech.

"You … you want to hire me … as a telepath?" she whispered.

"I do" Eric replied. "An employee with skills such as yours is highly attractive to a vampire in my position. Consider how useful you have already proven yourself. Just last night you prevented a bombing at my bar. Not only did you save my property but you also saved many vampire and human lives. Had you not thought of that?"

Actually, she hadn't thought of it. She'd been too scared to think of anything beyond her own safety and that of Jason's.

"But you kidnapped me. You beat me up and threatened to kill me. You've got me locked up in this house! And now you want me to work for you?" Sookie's voice shot up two octaves.

"As I said earlier, we met under … unfortunate circumstances. I'm prepared to make reparations for the unpleasantness of the last twenty-four hours. And I may, perhaps, be willing to consider leniency for your brother when I find him." Eric gave her a small, knowing smile. "You realize that I will find him sooner or later" he said gently.

"Jason hasn't done anything to you."

"Your brother is a suspected drainer. He is wanted in connection with the final deaths of two vampires in my area. If he is found guilty of these crimes he will be executed."

"No, please." Sookie's voice began to tremble. "Jason's not a murderer. He doesn't have it in him. He's stupid and reckless but he's not a killer. Please don't hurt him."

Eric leaned back in his chair and gazed at the girl. He had her. He'd been right about her emotional weakness for her piece of shit brother. This really was too easy.

"Shall we discuss terms?" he asked her.

Sookie's heart started to pound and she thought she might hyperventilate.

"What kind of terms?" she said in a small voice.

"When your brother is found, I will guarantee him a fair hearing. If he is innocent of wrongdoing, as you claim, he will not be harmed by me or any of my kind. I will pay you a salary that you would never be able to earn as a waitress. Five thousand dollars a month plus health benefits. Additionally, I will purchase your family home and deed the title over to you free and clear. In exchange for these favors, you will sign a lifetime contract granting me the absolute and exclusive use and rights to your telepathy."

_Oh God, oh God, oh God! _Gran's house! Jason!

"What do you mean a _lifetime contract_? I don't understand" Sookie said, her voice cracking. She felt sweat trickle down her back.

"It means quite simply that you will work for me and only me. You will be a member of my retinue. I will employ you as a telepath for the remainder of your lifetime. You will not perform telepathy for anyone other than myself, either humans or vampires."

Sookie tried to swallow past the huge lump in her throat. She was sure that she was going to start crying any second now.

"Are … are you saying that I would be your … slave?" She could barely bring herself to say that last word out loud.

Eric jerked upright, his eyes flashing in real anger.

"I am not a slaver" he hissed furiously. And that was true. Experience had taught him that happy and willing servants performed far better than hopeless and resentful slaves. He had no time for that kind of drama anyway. "I do not keep slaves. I have many employees, both vampire and human. And I believe that under the circumstances, my offer to you is more than fair."

"But … I'm locked in here. That room upstairs … it doesn't have a door-knob. I can't get out."

"That room is for … temporary purposes only" Eric replied defensively.

"So I can go home then? I'm free to leave?" Sookie pressed.

Eric thought for a moment. He didn't want her running around loose just yet. He needed more time to solidify his control over her before he could let her out-of-doors, so to speak. He also needed to keep her in his house in order to begin his seduction.

"The situation is too dangerous and unstable at the moment" he countered. "I have yet to discover who Rene was working for. Whoever did this may try to do it again. In fact, I'm quite certain they will try again. And of course, we still have to find your brother."

They stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

"I want a door-knob" Sookie suddenly said.

Eric quirked an eyebrow at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"I want a door-knob for my door. That room you locked me in doesn't have a knob. I can't get out and I don't like it. I want a door-knob."

Eric didn't know whether to be amused or irritated. He had just offered her a great deal of money, more than she could ever earn on her own, and here she was digging in her heels over a stupid door-knob.

"You want a door-knob" he repeated slowly.

"You said you don't keep slaves. Then let me have a door-knob to come in and out as I please."

She didn't like being confined. He was sure that if he gave her the door-knob now, it wouldn't be long before she would want out of the house. But perhaps there was a way to turn this to his advantage.

"Let's bargain, shall we?" he said. "You will swallow a few drops of my blood in exchange for the door-knob."

"Drink your blood!" she nearly shrieked, her eyes as big as saucers.

"Just a little bit, for practical purposes. It won't hurt you. In fact, vampire blood is quite beneficial to humans in small doses. If someone were to try to harm you, I would know instantly and be able to come to your assistance. In addition, it will heal your cuts and bruises. I regret that I was a bit … overzealous last night."

Sookie watched the vampire carefully. He was hiding something, she was sure of it. She didn't want to drink his blood. She was afraid of what it might do to her. But could she say no, what would happen if she refused him? What would he do to her? What would he do to Jason?

"Just a little bit?" she asked hesitantly.

"Only a few swallows, to demonstrate the good faith between us" the vampire replied smiling.

Sookie took a deep breath. "All right" she said shakily.

Eric felt a thrill shoot through him. This was better than he had hoped. He had thought it would take much longer to get her to ingest his blood. Now he would be able to track her if necessary. But more importantly, she would begin to desire him. It would make seducing her that much easier. He worked hard to contain his glee.

Standing up, he moved over to the couch and sat down beside her. He draped his left arm around her shoulders and felt her stiffen. No matter, he thought, he'd loosen her up soon enough. Letting his fangs drop, he raised his right wrist to his mouth and was just about to bite when she jumped.

"Wait!" You want me to drink out of your arm?"

He grinned at her. "Would you prefer to drink out of another part of my body?"

Sookie almost swallowed her tongue. He was an evil-minded bastard! "I'd prefer not to drink at all" she sniped.

He continued to grin lecherously and bit down into his arm with a crunch. He pulled his mouth away and blood began to ooze out of his wrist. He urged her forward with his left arm around her shoulders and she reluctantly leaned into him bringing her mouth down to his wrist.

Eric felt her lips touch his skin tentatively. She took one very small weak sip and immediately tried to draw back. He moved his free hand to the back of her head stopping her retreat.

"No, that's not nearly enough. Seal your lips around my wrist and pull hard. Take three more swallows." He put just a bit more pressure on the back of her head to emphasize his instructions. He had no intention of letting her back out now.

Sookie squeezed her eyes shut so hard that little dots began dancing around behind her eyes. _She wanted up!_ She couldn't stand the way he was holding her head down; it was bringing back memories she'd worked hard to forget. She started to whimper.

Eric instantly eased the pressure on her head. He leaned down and whispered, "Sookie, it's only three small swallows. I promise that it won't hurt you. Just three quick swallows and you're done."

She inhaled deeply through her nose and tried to relax. _'Just do it' _she told herself. _'Do it fast and get it over with.'_ Trying to draw on some inner strength, the way she always had, she sucked his blood into her mouth and forced herself to swallow.

Okay, that wasn't so bad. She had thought it would be revolting but the taste and consistency of his blood surprised her. It was cool and thick and slightly sweet. She swallowed again and then one more time. Eric immediately released her head and moved back.

Sookie sat up straight and looked at him, trying to blink back tears. She wasn't entirely successful and two tears rolled down each cheek. She swiped them away angrily.

Eric studied her, surprised. He was somewhat taken aback by her reaction. He hadn't expected her to cry. Most humans loved drinking vampire blood. It made them feel wonderful. He hadn't hurt her and he didn't understand what had brought on those tears. Worse, the sight of them made him feel strangely guilty. Ridiculous. Best just to move on.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

She thought about it for a moment. How did she feel? A warm sensation seemed to be moving through her body. The pain and soreness from the night before began to dissipate. If she was honest, she _did_ feel kind of refreshed. Still, she resented the entire process and she _seriously_ resented him.

"Okay, I guess" she replied sullenly.

The left side of his mouth kicked up in a cocky smirk and she wanted to kick him right in the balls.

"Well then, here's to the beginning of a long and fruitful future for the both of us" he said smoothly.


	13. New Routine

**Author's Note. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their reviews and interest in this story. You guys are wonderful motivation. I know that many of you are upset with Eric at the moment. Trust me when I say that he will eventually get his comeuppance; it's just going to take some time. The Eric in this story is complex and pragmatic. He is not irredeemably evil but he definitely is no saint either. This chapter is a little lighter than the last two. Enjoy.**

SPOV:

Sookie stood at the fancy state-of-the-art Viking gas stove in the fancy vampire kitchen that she had come to think of as hers. This thing had more bells and whistles than Ari's industrial commercial size stove at the restaurant. She shook her head looking around the room. Why the heck did they have all this stuff anyway? From what she had been able to tell, all they ever used was the refrigerator and the microwave. But this kitchen held every kind of large and small kitchen appliance and gadget that she could think of, and they all had the brand name Viking. Sheesh, she had never even heard of that brand. It probably cost a fortune. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. Why would they even bother, it's not like they cooked. Well, maybe they were just snooty in addition to being infuriatingly arrogant. Had to have the best of everything whether they used it or not.

She kept a close eye on her eggs and bacon as they sizzled in the frying pan in front of her. Her biscuits would be ready to come out of the oven any minute now, and she had just poured herself her first cup of coffee for the evening. She inhaled deeply, the delicious aromas of the food and coffee transporting her back home. She thought of all the wonderful breakfasts she had enjoyed with Gran.

Gran had always made meal time memorable. But breakfasts in the springtime had always held a special place in Sookie's heart. On the weekends in the Spring, before it got too hot, they would all enjoy breakfast on the front porch. Gran would set up a card table and decorate it with her antique linen tablecloth and napkins. There would be an arrangement of fresh-cut flowers from her flower garden. She would cook a huge old-fashioned Southern breakfast and then the three of them would sit down to eat and gossip well into mid-morning. More often than not, Tara would drop by to join them.

God, she missed her home so much! She missed Bon Temps and almost everybody in it. She even missed the folks who weren't always so nice to her. No matter what, Bon Temps would always be where she came from, and she wanted to go home so badly.

_Patience … patience Sookie … patience._

That was her new mantra and she repeated it to herself every day. Sometimes she repeated it dozens of times a day.

_You'll get there eventually. You just have to be patient._

Sookie added some salt and pepper to her eggs and turned her bacon over so it could crisp up on the other side. She took a sip of coffee and willed herself to think positively. After all, she had already come a long way in the last ten days.

One of her most important goals had been achieved; she had Gran's house back. The vampire had kept his word and now the house was completely hers. She thought about the deed upstairs in her nightstand drawer. Eric had purchased Gran's house from the bank and then sold it to her for one dollar. The paperwork had been signed, sealed, delivered, and recorded. That peculiar chubby lawyer of Eric's had explained everything to her; Mr. Ca … Cata …Catalia … whatever-his-name-was. She was now the sole owner of Gran's house, free and clear. Nobody could ever take it away from her again. The downside was that she had also signed that blasted employment contract.

Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! She was now an officially employed telepath-for-life. And to top it all off, her employer was a high-rolling, kidnapping, chauvinist pig vampire. Sookie snorted.

_I wonder what Maxine Fortenberry would have to say about all this?_

She glanced at the digital clock on the stove. It read 5:45 pm. She was running behind; they'd be up soon. She was still trying to adapt to her new daily routine. Of course, it was probably more accurate to call it her new nightly routine. For the last week and a half she had been getting up around four in the afternoon. She would shower and dress and then come downstairs to make her "breakfast" at about five o'clock in the evening. The vampires got up between six o'clock and six-thirty. She usually tried to be finished eating and cleaning up by the time they came upstairs, because whenever she didn't, Pam always complained about the smell of her "stinking human food." Well, she wasn't going to make it on time tonight; Pam would just have to get over it.

_Besides, I don't much like having to prepare her meals. Who wants to look at and handle blood? Nobody, that's who. But you don't hear me complaining about it do you?_

The timer on the oven went off and Sookie got her biscuits out and placed them in a platter she had waiting on the counter. The eggs and bacon were done too so she removed them from the heat and transferred them to her plate. She grabbed the platter of biscuits and her plate, and carried it all over to the kitchen table. Setting her food down, she went back for her coffee and a glass of orange juice. Opening the refrigerator, Sookie couldn't help but smile. She had a gallon of fresh-squeezed organic Florida orange juice. When she had put orange juice on her grocery list, Eric had had three boxes of organic oranges delivered to the house along with a brand new juice maker.

"Nothing but the best for my little telepath_" _he'd said, smiling smugly. Prick.

Well, she wasn't going to let him stop her from enjoying it. She poured herself a large glass of orange juice, snagged a jar of strawberry preserves and her coffee, and went back to the table. Before she started eating, she closed her eyes and said a quick prayer.

_Dear God, please help me get through this. And please take care of Jason. Amen._

With that, she opened her eyes and dug in. Mmmm ….. she had to admit, she made a pretty mean biscuit. They were light and fluffy and fragrant. Maybe not quite as good as Gran's but darn close. She spread some strawberry preserves on her biscuit, took another bite and sighed. It was funny how something as simple as homemade biscuits and fresh-squeezed orange juice could make her happy, but it did.

She continued to eat and wondered if tonight would be any different than the last few nights. Her evenings now consisted mainly of preparing her and Pam's meals, doing various chores for Pam, and watching television or reading. She had found the media room and Eric had shown her how to operate the remote controls for that gigantic television and stereo system. She had also helped herself to several books from his library.

She sighed. So far he hadn't required her to exercise her "special gift" as he called it. What was the point of keeping her here as his personal telepath if he didn't have her "read" anyone? He left the house for several hours each night but he never took her or Pam with him. Sookie almost wished that Eric would come up with a job for her to do because she was starting to get cabin fever. As big as this house was, she could only wander through it so many times. Heck, she couldn't even look out the windows because those damn metal shutters were down all the time. She missed the sun. She needed to get outside, she needed to see other humans. It was ironic really. There had been times in the past when all she had wanted was to get away from the cacophony of other people's minds. Now she longed for the chatter of human brains.

The first two days after Eric had the doorknob installed for her room, she had stayed up during daylight hours. She'd explored the first two floors and then tried to watch some television. But the huge house had been so quiet and lonely that it had actually been a relief when the vampires had woken up. After that, she had decided it would just be easier to keep their hours.

Finishing off the rest of her eggs, she stood and carried her plate to the sink to rinse before putting it in the dishwasher. She had plenty of bacon and biscuits left for a snack later. In the meantime, she really needed to clean up the kitchen before …

"Ugh … she's at it again" Pam's voice came from down the hall. "Honestly Cupcake, I could smell the stench of dead animal flesh the second I woke up."

_Too late._

"It's called bacon, Pam. And I have to eat too, you know."

"Well you should eat something that doesn't reek."

Sookie turned from the sink and watched the two vampires as they came into the kitchen. Pam was wearing a red and gold kimono with a matching pair of red sunglasses that Sookie had ordered for her during their internet shopping spree. Pam's sunglasses always matched her outfit, and Sookie wondered how she managed to do that. Maybe she asked Eric to match them for her. Who knew?

Eric. He strolled into the kitchen behind Pam, that signature smirk on his arrogant face. Sookie turned around and rinsed her plate off a second time just so she didn't have to look at him.

"Just let me get this cleaned up and I'll fix your blood, Pam."

She had found that it was easier to deal with this situation if she focused on Pam rather than Eric. She had felt off balance with Eric ever since that blood drinking ordeal. Hell, her whole life had been out of balance since the first night when he snatched her off the street. And now there were those damn dreams she kept having …

"Aren't you going to offer to fix me a blood as well?" he asked in that voice that set her nerves on edge.

"No. My contract says I perform telepathy for you. And since there's nothing wrong with your eyes, you can fix your own blood" she replied coolly.

Sookie turned to see Pam snickering as she sat down. Eric was leaning casually against the wall but his eyes were narrowed and focused on her. She pointedly ignored him as she walked back to the table to collect her juice glass and coffee cup.

"What do you want tonight Pam, AB negative or B negative?" she asked.

"Let's start with the AB neg. I'll let you know what I decide for later on tonight" Pam replied, tapping one of her nails on the glass-top table.

Sookie clenched her jaw tightly and tried to fight the headache that she felt coming on. How much longer was this routine going to be her life? Depositing her glass in the sink and setting her coffee cup aside on the counter, she opened a cabinet and pulled a large tumbler out for Pam's blood. She went back to the refrigerator to get a pint of AB negative. Not for the first time, Sookie thanked God that the fancy Viking refrigerator was double-sided with a free standing freezer. It was really like having two refrigerators plus a freezer all in one. This way she was at least able to keep their blood and her food completely separate. Retrieving a pint of blood, she emptied it into the tumbler and set the microwave for eighty seconds. She'd learned through trial and error exactly how hot Pam liked it, and Pam definitely wasn't shy about letting her know when it wasn't just right. While the blood was warming, she poured herself another cup of coffee.

"Why are there dark circles under your eyes, Sookie?" Eric suddenly asked.

Her mouth turned down and she shrugged one shoulder. She couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask her that. Turning toward the microwave, she gave him her back.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I haven't had any fresh air or seen the sun or felt the grass in the last eleven days" she answered in a clipped voice.

"As if that's anything to complain about" Pam huffed, joining the conversation. "I haven't had any pussy or fed from a real human in the last eleven days either."

Pam wrinkled her nose and grimaced. "Ginger was the last live human I drank from. So suck it up, Cupcake."

vv—v-v—V—v-v—vv

EPOV:

Eric leaned against the kitchen wall and glared at the two females in front of him. He was irritated with them both, and his annoyance was growing by the minute. For the last week he had been on the receiving end of Pam's acidic tongue and Sookie's cold shoulder. That was what Pam had called it … the _'cold shoulder.'_

According to the online slang dictionary, giving someone the cold shoulder meant, "to treat one distantly or with disdain."

The more he had thought about that, the more frustrated and confused he became. How dare she be angry at him? He had improved her life tremendously. She no longer had to do hard physical labor or work herself into a state of exhaustion. He had gifted her with her grandmother's house, something she had claimed to desire above all things. She now had high quality food to eat and luxurious surroundings. His own house was a maharajah's palace compared to that hovel she had been living in. He had even installed that gods-damned doorknob that she had wanted so badly. With the exception of the underground floor, she was free to roam about his house as she pleased.

_And yet she was acting as if he had wronged her in some way!_

Whenever he walked into a room, she would turn her head and refuse to look at him. She never initiated conversation and would only speak to him when he asked her a direct question. It made no sense, she was chatty enough with Pam.

He couldn't understand why Sookie was acting this way. She had had his blood. Damn it, she ought to be drawn to him, she should be receptive to his overtures. What was wrong with her? And why were there dark smudges under her eyes?

"As if that's anything to complain about" Pam was saying to Sookie, "I haven't had any pussy or fed from a real human in the last eleven days either. Ginger was the last live human I drank from. So suck it up, Cupcake."

Eric clenched his jaw and fought the urge to drop his fangs and hiss at them both.

_Odin's swinging balls, these two were going to drive him mad! They were both ungrateful shrews!_

Even his own child, who owed him her very existence, was impudent. Pam had been complaining for days about not having a human to fulfill her "needs." Now Sookie was whining about fresh air and grass and sunshine. Damn women and their wagging tongues. They would be the Final Death of him.

It was moments like this that made him nostalgic for the Dark Ages. When he had been human, women did as they were commanded and gave men the respect that they deserved. Certainly no women of his acquaintance back then had ever behaved like Pam and Sookie.

Or had they? He thought about that. His own mother had had an iron will; and his baby sister, Eija, had been able to use her tongue like a dagger. And the female vampires … well … even a thousand years ago he had never met one who was subservient.

He suddenly laughed out loud. Pam and Sookie's heads snapped in his direction, and they gawked at him.

"I'm glad you find this all so amusing" Pam ground out sarcastically. Sookie remained silent but her mouth was set in an angry, stubborn frown.

"Perhaps we could all use an evening out on the town" he said slowly, as surprise registered on their faces. The left side of his mouth kicked up in a smirk.

"Something to relieve the stress you both are so clearly suffering from. Either that, or I relieve my stress and beat you both senseless."

Pam snorted at that.

"I've increased security at Fangtasia significantly since our little … incident. Pam, I'll drop you off there first. You can gorge on fresh blood and pussy to your heart's content."

"Drop me off? And just where will you be going?" Pam asked.

He grinned, staring at his little telepath.

"Now Pam, you're not the only one in this house with needs. Somehow I don't think that our Sookie is very interested in blood or pussy. Are you Sookie?"

Sookie's mouth opened and closed, and her face turned a luscious shade of rosy pink. He watched, enthralled, as her blood rushed to the surface of her skin. The blush spread slowly down her neck, delighting him. He wanted to make that blush spread even lower, down to her breasts and belly. The room was filling with the exotic perfume of her blood. She smelled like no other human he had ever encountered.

He heard Pam's fangs drop but it didn't anger him. He knew it was an involuntary response because his own fangs had run down as well. He had made it clear to Pam that Sookie was his, and his alone. He was going to have to be so very careful with this human. Many of his kind would want what he now had. Her scent, her telepathy, her beauty; they were all his. And very soon he would have her blood and her body as well.

She knew it too. She had backed up against the stove and her heart was beginning to pound. She knew she was being stalked by a predator.

Eric slowly walked across the floor until he was standing directly in front of her, so close his chest was almost touching her breasts. He was so much taller than her that she had to lean her head back to look at him. He smiled, allowing her to see his fangs. She bit her lip but held his gaze. He liked that she didn't lower her eyes; he liked that a lot.

"No, Sookie isn't interested in those things" he whispered, his eyes holding hers. He raised one hand and began to gently trace little circles on her cheek with his index finger. The softest lightest little circles.

"She wants to breathe the fresh, clean night air and feel soft green grass under her bare feet. Isn't that right, Sookie? Isn't that what you want?"

She didn't say anything and Eric knew her mouth was going dry because she swallowed. Her breath was coming faster and she was beginning to perspire; he could smell it. He couldn't hear anything except the rush of her blood and the staccato beating of her heart.

"If I had a soul, I'd sell it to the Devil right now, just to be able to actually _see_ this scene."

Pam's amused voice shattered the spell he had been falling into with Sookie.

"In fact, I think I might need to go change my panties" Pam added.

Sookie jumped like she'd been electrocuted and darted around him to the other side of the kitchen. Eric watched her, amused. She was gripping the refrigerator door and looked like she might try to climb inside it. He chuckled and gave her a smirk.

"Why don't you go get your purse Pam and some lipstick or something" he said to his child. "I'll pull the car around."

"What about Cupcake?"

"Oh, she's fine just as she is" he replied smoothly and gave her a wink. "Sookie and I won't be spending the evening at Fangtasia."


	14. Fangtasia

**Author's Note: Hi everybody. I want to apologize to everyone who has been following and enjoying **_**Sins of Her Brother. **_** I am so sorry that I have let months go by without updating. I suck donkey balls! Please forgive me. I'm going to try harder to be more disciplined, and take the time to write at least a little every day. Thanks to everyone for reading and I just want to say again that I promise I AM NOT going to abandon **_**Sins of Her Brother**_** or my second story **_**Aftermath.**_** Hope you all enjoy this update. Your feedback means so much to me even though I know I don't deserve it.**

**Chapter 14**

Sookie charged up the stairs to change her clothes. They were all going out! She was finally getting out of this house! Eric hadn't said where they were going, but she honestly didn't care, just as long as she got to go outside. He said she didn't need to change but she was going to anyway. She had on a pair of old jeans and a tee-shirt but she wanted to change into something just a little nicer regardless of where they were going, especially since Pam was all decked out in her fancy kimono. Of course, Sookie knew that no matter what she put on, she would still look like Plain Jane compared to Pam.

She hurried down the hallway until she came to her bedroom. Reaching out, she placed her hand on the doorknob to her room. Her lip curled, she _knew _that Eric was mocking her with this damn doorknob. The knob itself was made out of some kind of smooth-cut crystal; it was gently faceted but it still seemed to reflect every color in the rainbow. The darn thing twinkled! The metal-work surrounding the knob was overlaid with intricately carved bronze. It was the fanciest, most ornate doorknob in the entire house. Oh yeah, he was mocking her all right!

She opened her door and walked quickly through the bedroom and straight to her bathroom where her walk-in closet was located. She scanned her small collection of clothes, finally choosing a simple jean skirt and a white blouse that was casual but still feminine and pretty. Selecting a pair of white leather sandals to go with the outfit, she headed back to the bedroom to change. The sandals had been a Christmas present from Lafayette two years ago, and she smiled thinking about him. She quickly stripped off her jeans and tee-shirt and tossed them on the bed. She put on the fresh clothes, tucking her blouse loosely inside her skirt and slipped on the sandals.

She started to head for the door but stopped abruptly. She hadn't been outside in so long, that this felt special; like a treat. She wanted to look pretty. Turning, she walked over to her dresser where she had arranged her cosmetics and small collection of jewelry. She chose a blue headband to match her skirt and a pair of silver hoops with a matching bracelet. Gran had given her the earring and bracelet set for her sixteenth birthday. She brushed her hair and then slipped the headband and jewelry on. Next she put on some pink lip gloss, just a hint of pink blush, and some light mascara. She grinned at herself in the mirror, feeling ridiculously happy and excited. She _did_ look pretty.

_I wonder if Eric will think I look nice?_

Wait. Where the heck had that thought come from? She frowned, her reflection turning stern in the mirror.

_Who cares what he thinks! I just want to look nice for me, that's all. I don't need the approval of that arrogant a-hole._

"Cupcake, what is taking you so long?" Pam's voiced yelled impatiently from downstairs.

"I'm coming right now," Sookie called back.

She ran out of her room and down the upstairs hallway toward the staircase. Now that she was dressed and presentable, she wanted to be out of this house just as badly as Pam did. Her _"night out on the town" _awaited.

v—v-v—V—v-v—v

Eric maneuvered Pam's Lexus through the front parking lot at Fangtasia, heading toward the back of the building and the private employees' entrance. He glanced at his passengers. Pam's fangs were already down and she had a were-eating grin on her face. She was no doubt anticipating the pleasures in store for her tonight. In the back seat, Sookie was practically bouncing up and down with excitement. The first thing she had done when they pulled out of his driveway was to roll down both windows in the back seat for the "fresh air." The car had turned into a wind tunnel. He had half expected her to hang her head out the window like some brainless mutt. Eric suppressed the urge to roll his eyes like a human. Pam and Sookie were acting like they had been imprisoned in some dungeon for a century. It had only been eleven days, and they had spent that entire time in the lap of luxury! He had kept them inside in order to keep them out of harm's way. Why couldn't they understand that? He parked the car in Pam's reserved parking space right next to his Corvette, but before he could get one word out of his mouth, Sookie and Pam jumped out of the car.

"Wait just one damn second" he said irritably.

They both turned toward him wearing identical frowns.

"What is it? I want to go inside" Pam said impatiently.

Eric held his temper in check. It was just as well that they were going to be separating for the evening. The past eleven days had reminded him why he and Pam didn't normally share the same nest anymore. He loved his progeny, but when she was in a foul mood she made sure that everyone around her suffered as well.

"I'm going to speak with security out here for a few minutes. You and Sookie go on inside and when I'm finished, I'll come in and join you" he said.

"That's it?" Pam asked. "That's what you wanted to tell us? Well, I know I couldn't have gone on even a single second longer without that valuable information."

"Pamela! That is enough!" he nearly roared.

Completely out of patience, Eric's fangs snapped down and he snarled at her. He clenched his fists tightly in an effort to keep from punching her in the face.

"Ok then!" Sookie yelped loudly, surprising both vampires. "We'll go inside now. Come on, Pam!"

Grabbing Pam's hand, Sookie began dragging her toward the back entrance, leaving Eric standing by himself with his mouth open.

_Gods-damn it!_

Now he had frightened his human. His night out with Sookie was not beginning as he had envisioned it. He was eager to begin moving things along with her both professionally and personally. Especially personally. She had been in his nest for eleven nights now, and with each night that passed he wanted her more. It shocked him to realize that he was more interested in bedding her than in using her for her telepathy.

Eric turned and scanned the parking lot just in time to see Compton come around the corner from the front of the building. Bill nodded at him in greeting.

"Sheriff, we weren't expecting you tonight."

"Pam is acting like a human bitch on the rag. I'm leaving her in your care for the evening."

"I'm honored" Bill replied dryly. "We've tripled security as you instructed; six guards inside and eight outside, plus I've put Thalia on the perimeter."

Eric smirked. "Good choice."

Thalia was strong and almost as old as he was, she had a perpetually bad attitude and a hair-trigger temper. Nothing would get past her. Under normal circumstances he would never use Thalia for any duties that involved Fangtasia. But nothing that had happened in the last week and a half was normal.

"She's patrolling outside, yes? Not inside?" he asked.

"Absolutely" Bill said. "She won't come inside unless we have an incident."

Eric locked Bill in his gaze. "There had better not be an incident, Bill," he said icily. "You are here to prevent any more incidents."

The younger vampire dipped his head deferentially. "I understand Sheriff."

Without another word, Eric turned on his heel and headed inside.

v—v-v—V—v-v—v

Sookie grabbed Pam's hand and began dragging her toward the back door and away from Eric. She hated it when their fangs popped out like that! When they were mad, their lips drew back making them look like growling tigers.

Pam chuckled behind her. "In a hurry, are we Cupcake?" she asked.

"You know Pam, I do have a name and it is _not_ Cupcake. And I'm just trying to keep you out of trouble. Why do you have to be so snarky all the time? It's like you want to make him mad!"

They were almost at the back door when Pam suddenly shifted, seizing Sookie's wrist in a vice-grip and pulling her in close.

"Let's get one thing clear right now, little girl" the vampire said, her voice low and cold. "I don't need you to look out for me. I allow you to serve me simply for my convenience, nothing more. Secondly, my relationship with Eric is none of your business, so don't presume."

"I … I didn't mean …" Sookie stuttered. She swallowed and tried again. "I didn't mean to insult you, I'm sorry."

Pam continued squeezing her wrist for a moment longer and Sookie began to wonder if she was angry enough to break it, when suddenly the moment passed and Pan relaxed.

"That's alright Cupcake, you didn't know any better" she drawled. "Now let me give you some advice. When we go inside, do not show fear to any vampire you meet. Deference yes, but fear, no. Fear is a sign of weakness and Eric Northman _does not choose the weak_. Understand?"

Sookie stared at Pam, not understanding at all. _Eric Northman does not choose the weak?_ What the hell did that mean, what in the world was going on now?

"Um … yes … I think so" she lied.

Pam grinned and held her hand back out to Sookie.

"Good. Now don't worry Cupcake. Just follow my lead and you'll do fine. Push the red button beside the door."

Sookie looked over and saw a call-box mounted to the wall, just beside the back door. She reached out and pressed the red call-button. Instantly, a voice barked out, "Name?"

"It's me, you shithead," Pam smirked. "Open the door."

Sookie heard a locking mechanism engaged, and then the back door was pushed open and the straggly black-haired vampire she remembered from that first night was glaring down at her.

_He's the one_ _who decapitated that man,_ Sookie thought. Visions of the severed head, blood shooting across the floor, and this black eyed vampire drinking from the bloody neck flashed through her memory.

The ugly vampire looked from Pam to her, and then back at Pam again.

"Paaammmm," he sneered. "I'm so relieved to see that you're on the mend."

"Just a minor inconvenience, Longshadow," Pam sneered back. She grinned at him cruelly. "I see you've been promoted to opening and closing the back door. Congratulations, I'm so happy for you. You finally have a job that's perfectly suited to your vast talents."

The black-haired vampire's fangs snapped down and he hissed. Pam continued to grin.

"Out of the way, underling, I've got business to attend to," she said. Then she was pushing past him and pulling Sookie along with her down the long hallway.

Sookie tried to calm her racing heart. Why had she thought she wanted to go out? She wanted to be back in Eric's house, fixing Pam a blood or ordering stuff for her off of the internet. She did not want to be in a vampire bar surrounded by these volatile, unpredictable creatures. Her breath started to come faster and faster.

"Chin up, Sookie," Pam said in a very no-nonsense way. But she patted her on the back.

"Remember what I told you. You are not weak. You wouldn't be here if you couldn't handle it. You are now in the retinue of Eric Northman, so act like it."

"I don't even know what that means, Pam."

"It means that you are under Eric's protection. It means that no one will dare touch you. It means that you have value."

For a moment, Sookie was so stunned that she forgot to be afraid. She stared at Pam, dumbstruck. _She had value?_ No one but Gran and her small handful of friends had ever thought she had any value. And had Pam just paid her a compliment _and_ called her by her real name?

_Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea!_ What was going on? Sookie shook her head as if to clear it. She didn't understand these vampires and their crazy mood swings. How had she ended up here? How had this happened to her life?

Pam snapped her fingers in front of Sookie's face.

"You still with me, Cupcake?"

"Uh … yeah, I am."

_Show no fear. _Sookie took a slow deep breath. She could do this. She straightened her back and squared her shoulders. She had value.

Taking hold of Pam's hand, she asked the vampire "where to?"

"To the main bar room. There's a large circular booth in red leather that is always reserved for Eric. That's where we will sit. Lead the way, Cupcake."

Without another word, Sookie led Pam down the hall and into the bar. As soon as they entered, every eye both vampire and human, turned toward them. _Show no fear, act like you belong here._ Lifting her chin, she led Pam over to the round red leather booth that belonged to Eric. Pam immediately sat down and Sookie slid in behind her.

Almost instantly, a tall female vampire appeared by the booth, causing Sookie to jump a little. They moved so darn fast! She hadn't even seen her approach. This vampire was tall for a woman and very beautiful. She had long black hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. Her skin was not as pale as Pam's or Eric's. Sookie thought she looked Middle Eastern. Even though Pam couldn't see her, the vampire bowed before her.

"Mistress Pamela, this is a delightful surprise. How may I serve you?"

"Felicia, do be a dear and call my favorite pets in for me" Pam said.

Sookie watched Pam rummage around in her purse until she came out with a cell phone which she handed to the vampire, Felicia.

"You'll find them in my contacts. Call them all, don't skip even one" Pam said grinning. And her fangs popped out. Felicia grinned in return.

"I will call them immediately, Mistress. Since it is still early, most of your favorites are not here yet."

"That'll be fine, Felicia. In the meantime, bring me a Royalty Blend. Sookie, what do you want?"

Sookie had been watching the exchange between Pam and Felicia about "pets" very closely; and she was surprised when Pam actually addressed her, again by using her real name.

"Um … I'll have a gin and tonic, please."

Felicia smiled seductively and her fangs popped out too. It was a little disconcerting. Then the vampire turned and zipped behind the bar, Pam's cell phone still clutched in her hand.

Sookie glanced around the room. The bar was about half full with humans milling about and vampires sitting at various tables throughout the room. There were also three vamps dancing on elevated platforms. Sookie knew she was staring, but she couldn't help it. The way they could move their bodies was almost mesmerizing. It reminded her of bullet-time in that Keanu Reeves movie, The Matrix, that Jason had dragged her to.

_Jason._

Oh God, a wave of grief seemed to rush out of nowhere and swamp her. Where was he? Was something horrible happening to him right now? Would she ever see him again?

"Your drink, Mistress."

Sookie looked up. Felicia was back with Pam's blood and her gin and tonic. She took the drink and sipped it while the two vampires continued talking.

Across the room, she noticed the black-haired vampire again; Longshadow, Pam had called him. He was standing in the shadows with his back against the wall, staring at her. Sookie felt the hair on the back of her neck rise up. Longshadow had his head lowered but his eyes were fixed on her. His mouth was slightly open and she knew his fangs were out, even though she couldn't see them clearly. She had dealt with enough mean drunks at Merlotte's to know a threatening leer when she saw one. She scooted closer toward Pam.

"I haven't introduced you properly," Pam way saying. "Felicia, this is Cupcake. Cupcake, this is Felicia."

"It's nice to meet you, Cupcake," Felicia said.

"It's nice to meet you too, Felicia. But you can call me Sookie. Only Pam calls me Cupcake."

v—v-v—V—v-v—v

Eric entered his bar and immediately saw Pam and Sookie sitting in his private booth, talking to Felicia. He was eager to collect Sookie and go, so that they could begin their evening together. He ignored all the over-eager fangbangers and headed directly for his little telepath.

"Ladies," he greeted them.

"Eric," Pam replied, as Felicia bowed. "Sit down and join us. I was just instructing Cupcake on how to conduct herself in a vampire bar."

"I'm surprised you have time for that Pam. I thought you'd be with your pets by now."

"Felicia has called them for me. When they arrive, I intend to fuck them all."

Eric grinned at his child and glanced over at Sookie. She had her eyes glued to the contents of her drink and was blushing furiously. Yes, it was definitely time to go.

"I think Sookie and I will take our leave now. We'll be back around four, to pick you up. Enjoy yourself."

"Likewise," Pam replied.

He offered his hand to Sookie, and after a moment's hesitation, she took it and maneuvered herself out of the booth. She gazed up at him and bit her lower lip. It was an endearing gesture. Wanting to get her out of Fangtasia, Eric draped his arm around her shoulders and began walking her toward the back door. He was well aware that everyone in the bar was staring at them.

They entered the rear hall and made their way to the exit. He felt Sookie press herself against his side and was pleased. Progress. Longshadow was on guard duty in the back and he opened the door for them. But Eric didn't bother speaking to him, didn't even spare him a glance. He ushered Sookie outside into the night and toward his Corvette.

"We're not taking the Lexus?" Sookie asked, surprised.

"Of course not. The Lexus is Pam's vehicle; the Corvette is _mine."_

He opened the passenger-side door for her and helped her in. She was very careful not to let her skirt ride up as she sat down. Eric smiled to himself. Her modesty was quaint, and surprisingly, he found it arousing. He shook his head. What the hell was happening to him?

Eric rounded his Vette and climbed in behind the wheel. He gunned the engine and tore out of Fangtasia's back parking lot, around the corner, and through the front parking lot. Fangbangers scattered in all directions. He laughed as Sookie squealed and covered her eyes.

The night awaited them both.


	15. Home

**SPOV:**

Sookie threw her hands up and squeezed her eyes shut as Eric tore through the parking lot. They were going to hit somebody! She just knew it. She leaned back into the seat and braced herself for the thud she knew was coming. Beside her, Eric let out a carefree laugh.

"Relax Sookie, you are in good hands," he said.

She felt the car make a sharp turn to the left. Hesitantly, she peeked out between her fingers. They were on the main road. She couldn't believe they had made it out of that packed parking lot without hitting anyone. She lowered her hands and let out the breath that she had been holding. She glanced over at Eric. He was grinning at her. They were flying down the road with no thought to the speed limit, and Eric didn't show any signs of slowing down. She reached over her shoulder and fumbled for her seat belt as he accelerated even more.

"Don't you trust me, Sookie?" he asked softly.

Well that was a loaded question if she had ever heard one. She decided to ignore it.

"Could you slow down a little? I'm human, you know, and I wouldn't come out of a car crash in as good a shape as you."

Eric smirked at her. He caressed the steering wheel and his eyes roamed lovingly over the lit dashboard and brown leather interior of the car.

"I am in total control of this vehicle. It will never crash with me behind the wheel. You have nothing to fear."

Arrogant a-hole! God! Men and their cars! Jason was the exact same way when it came to his truck. He could spend hours cleaning and shining it and tinkering under the hood. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she had just discovered something that he had in common with her brother; but she thought better of it at the last second.

"Where are we going?" she asked instead.

Eric gave her a sidelong glance. "That is up to you. Where do you want to go?"

She gawked at him. "I get a choice?" she asked incredulously.

"You were the one who wanted to go out. You were the one complaining about being kept indoors. Tonight is for you. So, I ask again, where do you wish to go?"

Hope sprang up in Sookie's heart. She didn't even have to think about the answer.

"Can we go to my grandmother's house?" she asked excitedly.

Eric frowned. "But there is nothing there. The house is empty, is it not?"

"I want to see Gran's house. Please. That's where I want to go."

**EPOV:**

Eric heard the longing in Sookie's voice and realized he was going to have to give in. He hadn't planned on spending the evening with her in that hick town; but he supposed it didn't really matter if it improved her mood. He didn't like the way she had been moping around the last few days. If visiting that rundown farmhouse made her happy, he could use that to further advance his plans. It was time to play Mr. Nice Vampire.

Without saying anything, Eric took the next exit ramp that would put them on Interstate 20. They could be in Bon Temps in about forty minutes. He felt a surge of happiness from Sookie and glanced at her in the passenger seat. She was grinning from ear to ear. She looked at him and he almost thought her eyes were sparkling.

He was surprised. Was this all it took to please her? Just a trip out to the sticks to look at an empty house? This girl continued to confound him. Could she really be this simple? She had only taken a little of his blood and their connection was weak, but he could feel actual _joy_ rippling along the tenuous bond.

"You have lived in this house your entire life?" he asked.

"Almost. Gran took me and Jason in when our parents passed. I was seven."

He already knew that from reading Bill's dossier on her. But humans liked to make small talk. It had been quite some time since he actually had to have a conversation with a human woman. The fangbangers just fell on their backs and spread their legs. Blood or no blood, he knew it wasn't going to be that easy with Sookie.

"And you are attached to the house?"

"Of course I'm attached to it. It's my home."

"But it is only a building, Sookie. Just wood and plaster; bricks and mortar."

"No, it's more than that. It's the place where I grew up, where my Gran raised me. It's where I had birthday parties, and Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. It's where I was safe and happy. All of my memories are there."

They continued down the interstate in silence and Eric pondered her words. Feelings. That's what she was talking about. There was nothing special about the house itself. It just made her feel special. She wanted to hold onto it because, in her human mind, it represented comfort and happiness. It suddenly dawned on him that the house was her security blanket. He wondered why she couldn't see that that kind of thinking was simply an illusion. He decided to test his theory.

"You know, Sookie, once I have dealt with our current situation and the danger is passed, you can move to Shreveport permanently."

She whipped her head to the side and gawked at him. "What?" she yelped.

"With the salary you will earn as my personal telepath, you could easily purchase a new house or apartment of your own. You could live in a much nicer dwelling, one with all the modern conveniences, inside the city or the suburbs. Why live in a crumbling shack in the middle of nowhere?"

Her anger shot across the weak bond and zinged him. He glanced at her. She was turning red in the face. He almost laughed.

"My Gran's house in not a crumbling shack," she ground out between gritted teeth. "It may not seem like much to you, but it's my home and I'll thank you not to insult it." She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.

He'd been right. She was trying to live in the past by clinging to that farmhouse. It was her human sentimentality again. That was one of the first things that vampires learned to put behind them. They looked forward, not backward. It was a matter of survival. He had learned long ago that money and power were the things that brought true security in this world.

"We're coming up on the Bon Temps exit," Sookie said. "When you get to the top of the ramp, take a left onto Black Snake Road. That will take us through town. Then go straight for about eight miles until you come to Hummingbird Road. Take another left and my house is about five miles out."

"I'm sure I can manage not to get us lost in the wilderness," he replied.

v-v-v-V-v-v-v

**SPOV:**

Twenty minutes later they reached the beginning of her driveway at the end of Hummingbird Road. Her heart started to pound. Home. After more than a year, she was finally home!

"This is my drive, turn here," she said excitedly.

Eric turned the Corvette onto the long gravel driveway. Sookie leaned forward in her seat as they meandered their way through the tall pine trees. Slowly, the house came into view. So many emotions were racing through her, that she didn't know whether to cry or simply laugh out loud.

Just then, they hit a pothole. Eric hissed loudly.

"This driveway is in reprehensible condition. The loose gravel is going to damage my undercarriage and paint," he said, slowing the Corvette down to a crawl.

She smiled evilly and cocked her head to look at him sideways.

"But it's only a car Eric, just a hunk of steel and rubber."

His eyes widened and for once he looked completely speechless. She wanted to pump her fist in the air and yell, "Score!"

"This vehicle is a finely tuned machine. It is much more than _just a hunk of steel!"_ he spat.

"If you say so," she replied sweetly.

Eric drove up to the front of the house and stopped directly at the edge of the front porch. Sookie opened her door and jumped out of the car; she stood looking up at the house where she had grown up. The house was completely dark, and it looked lonely and abandoned. Luckily, the moon was almost full and Eric left his headlights on. There was a slight breeze and the crickets were chirping loudly. Now that she was here, she wasn't sure what to do.

She heard the car door open as Eric got out. He walked around and came to stand beside her in front of the steps. He didn't say anything, but she could feel him watching her. She walked up the steps and stood on the porch staring at the front door. Suddenly, it hit her.

"Oh no! Oh, no, no!"

She ran forward and turned the door knob. It was locked. She almost burst into tears.

"Eric, I don't have the keys! I left them in my room!"

"Sookie, calm down," he soothed. "If you want to go inside that badly, I will break down the door."

"No! That's my Gran's door! Don't you dare break it down!"

**EPOV:**

Eric fought his urge to sigh in exasperation. How had he ended up here? They were in Bum-Fuck, Louisiana, standing in front of a dark dilapidated old farmhouse, whose owner desperately wanted to go inside, but had a problem with him breaking down the door and thereby giving her the means to go inside.

"All right, we'll find another way," he said.

They had come this far already; and if they returned to Shreveport without Sookie getting inside, he was afraid she might cry all the way back. That would defeat the entire purpose of this blasted trip. He walked down the side of the porch and peered in a front window. The room was entirely empty. He tried to lift the window-sill, but it was locked. She would probably throw a fit if he broke the glass. Turning, he went back down the steps and looked up at the second floor.

"Do you keep the windows on the upper floor locked?"

"Well, no, there's no reason to. But how will we get up there?" She was quiet for moment but then said, "Wait, I think there might be an old ladder around back."

He smirked. This little one had so much to learn. He held out his hand to her. She came down the steps and stood in front of him looking at his outstretched hand.

"You will need to take that silver bracelet off," he said.

"Why?" she asked cautiously.

Eric wasn't used to being questioned.

"Sookie, if you want to go inside the house, take off the bracelet and put your arms around my neck." She stared at him warily, and he added, "Or if you don't want to go in, we can always go back to Fangtasia and join Pam and her pets."

He watched her lips thin and her eyes spark. Slowly, she slipped the bracelet off her wrist and put it in the pocket of her jean skirt. He smiled at her seductively. Reaching out, he encircled her small wrists in his hands and drew them up around his neck. Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he snaked one arm around her waist and pulled her to him.

"Eric, what are you …..?"

Very slowly, they began to rise off of the ground. Sookie gasped and locked her arms around his neck. He chuckled.

"A ladder, Sookie? Really? The gods help any vampire who ever needs a ladder."

"We're … we're floating!"

"Indeed we are, little one."

Eric watched her closely as they continued to rise. He didn't detect any signs of fear. In fact, she had a look of wonder on her face. He felt a thrill shoot through him. She was enjoying this! He kept rising slowly, savoring the feel of her body pressed against his. Her soft breasts were crushed against his chest and he held her a little tighter. Then they were at the second floor window. With his free hand, he reached out and lifted the window-sill. It slid up easily.

"You will need to invite me inside," he said.

"Wha … what?"

"Have you forgotten already how this process works? You are the owner of this house. I cannot enter without your invitation."

"Oh, … right. Um, … Eric Northman … please come inside my house."

"Now wrap your legs around my waist." When she just stared at him open-mouthed, he added, "I don't want to knock your legs on the side of the house as we enter."

She didn't say anything, but he felt her legs lift and come up to rest around his hips. He grinned at her wickedly. He gave himself an extra moment to enjoy the position and then quickly zipped them through the open window.

**SPOV:**

Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea! Eric could fly! She couldn't believe what had just happened. They had floated right up to her bedroom window and Eric had flown them inside! One second they had been hanging suspended in the air, and then before she could even blink, they were inside the house. She was so amazed, that it took a moment or two before she realized they were standing in the middle of her bedroom and she still had her arms and legs locked around him. He was looking at her with a cocky little smile on his face. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

To her shock, she felt herself blush. _What the heck?!_ Quickly, she brought her feet down to the floor and tried to take a step back. After about two heartbeats, he let her go.

"Well, here we are," she said stupidly.

"Yes, here we are," he replied.

All of a sudden, she was flustered and didn't know what to say. It had felt strange to be in his arms; strange but … nice. She didn't allow people to hold her that way, even her friends and family. The mental intrusion was just too much. But with him it was quiet. She had been able to hold him, and it had just … felt nice.

"This is my room," she blurted out.

"It's empty," Eric said looking around.

"I had to put everything in my boss's storage units when the bank foreclosed. I guess I should start thinking about having it all moved back."

She looked around the dark room. "I'll need to get the power turned back on too."

"There will be plenty of time for that in the future," the vampire said. "Don't forget that it is still too dangerous for you to move back in right away. What is it that you humans say? Good things come to those who wait?"

"That's easy for a vampire to say. You guys have nothing but time."

"It does have its advantages. So, what do you want to do now?"

"I just want to look around a bit. Gran used to keep a flashlight in the utility closet out in the hall. It might still be there."

She felt Eric reach out and take her hand; he led her through the bedroom door and into the hallway. Without the moonlight streaming in through the windows, she could barely see anything.

"You can see in the dark, can't you?" she asked.

"Of course." He replied smoothly. "You will find, Sookie, that I have many useful talents of which you can avail yourself." He paused. "Is it the small door on the left?"

"Yes, that's the one." He was touching her again, slowly sweeping his thumb back and forth across her palm. Sookie marveled that she could hold his hand without all the unwanted mental static. It was amazing just to hold another person's hand; to feel his skin against hers.

_You've been leading Pam around by the hand for the past ten days, _she thought to herself. But somehow … this was different. Totally different.

"Ah, it seems the trusty flashlight is still here," he said, pulling her out of her reverie.

For the next thirty minutes, they walked around the house, going from room to room. She gave him the grand tour, telling him what each room was and the plans that she had for it. When they finally reached the front door, she stopped and put the flashlight down.

"Well, I guess that's everything," she said self-consciously. "I suppose we can leave by the front door instead of the upstairs window."

"Yes, but upstairs windows are much more exciting than front doors, wouldn't you say?"

Sookie smiled and looked down at the floor shyly. That's when she noticed that their hands were still joined. They had been holding hands since they left her bedroom! He hadn't let her go and she hadn't pulled away! She was so astounded, she couldn't think of anything to say.

Eric held the door open for her. She let go of his hand and walked onto the front porch. She looked out across the lawn. The grass was knee high and there were weeds in Gran's flower beds. Suddenly, she felt a wave of sadness come over her. Then Eric was by her side, taking her hand again. He led her back to the Corvette and opened the passenger door for her. She slid in and he went around to the driver's side. Neither spoke as they drove back down Hummingbird Road.

Sookie looked at the clock on Eric's dashboard. It was 10:22 pm. It was also Friday night.

"Eric, take a right at the next light. I thought of somewhere else I want to go."

He looked at her curiously. "And where would that be?"

"My old bar," she said excitedly. "Merlotte's."


End file.
